Eligible candidates are reminded that the deadline for returning nomination papers to seek election to the new Crofting Commission is 4 pm on Thursday 26 January.
Six people will be elected by Scotland's crofting community to represent their interests on the Crofting Commission, which will come into effect on 1 April 2012 when it will replace the current Crofters Commission. Another three Commissioners have been appointed by the Scottish Government.
The Commission electoral area is divided into 6 constituencies and each constituency must return one member only. The constituencies are:-
• Shetland,
• Orkney and Caithness;
• East Highlands (East Sutherland, Easter Ross, East Inverness and Moray);
• Western Isles
• West Highlands (West Sutherland, Wester Ross, Skye and Lochalsh);
• South West Highlands (Lochaber, Argyll and Bute, Arran and Cumbrae, Small Isles)
Commissioners will have the opportunity to shape regulatory policy and influence the future of crofting in Scotland. They will receive remuneration of £7,440 per annum and be expected to devote a minimum of four days each month to Commission work.
To be eligible, candidates must be aged 16 years or over and either have their name entered on the Register of Crofts as a crofter or owner-occupier crofter or have been nominated by an elector.
Nomination forms and other documents relating to the election can be downloaded from The Highland Council website; obtained on request, by email to elections[AT]highland.gov.uk; or by phoning the elections helpdesk on 01349 886657.
The elections will be conducted using a postal ballot. The count will take place in Inverness at The Highland Council Headquarters on Friday March 16.
Voting is restricted to one vote per croft and to one vote per crofter: a multiple occupancy croft must nominate one voter, and a crofter with multiple crofts is only eligible for one vote.