KEY POINTS:
A looming showdown in the battle for control of the country's richest iwi has been postponed after the sudden death of a leading opponent of the tribe's chairman.
Kelly Davis, the Waihao runanga representative, died on Thursday night. His passing has delayed a board meeting scheduled for this weekend at which a bitter dispute between two board factions was expected to be resolved.
A motion calling to sack Ngai Tahu chairman Mark Solomon was expected to be debated at the meeting. This was expected to have won backing from the majority of the 18 members.
The move was seen as the only way to end a division that had paralysed the board with nine members in staunch opposition to Mr Solomon's leadership, and an equal number backing him.
The dispute, which has raged for more than 3 years, came to a head last week when Mr Solomon rejected a more than $300,000 payout to resign.
The offer had been expected to be re-put to Mr Solomon on Thursday, but it is understood he did not attend a meeting scheduled with Ngai Tahu Group manager Wally Stone.
Mr Stone responded by releasing a statement on Thursday night, supported by respected tribal elders Sir Tipene O'Regan and Rakiihia Tau, calling on Mr Solomon to resign.
Mr Stone said Mr Solomon's decision to decline the original offer through the media, despite instigating negotiations, and his later call for the entire board to resign had brought the tribe into disrepute.
Mr Stone's concerns are, however, more stark in an internal board memo released to the Weekend Herald, in which concerns about internal problems are detailed.
Mr Stone was independently appointed in June last year to help resolve governance, management and financial problems within the tribe.
"My immediate focus [was] mitigating the threat of legal action; reducing the threat of future personal grievances; dealing with the complete melt down of the NTHC board and removing key threats, including directors."
He goes on to include "reducing any commercial exposure with respect to the loss of senior executives; neutralising the standoff" between Mr Solomon and chief executive Tahu Potiki and resolving "the deep dissatisfaction expressed by staff and iwi members towards the current leadership".
Changes had resulted in the removal of "some of the main players blamed for the state of affairs", including the Ngai Tahu Holdings Company chairman and several directors, its chief executive and chief financial officer and other executives, and the board's chief executive.
"Eight months ago there were a number of people to blame; well they are not there today. I think we all know who is now to blame. I suggest we take a serious look at what is the common denominator."
Hundreds of tribal members were expected to support Mr Solomon at today's meeting. However, in a press release yesterday Mr Solomon said the meeting would be delayed until the end of the month because of the death of Mr Davis.
Mr Solomon could not be reached for comment, but a key supporter said he would continue to defy calls to resign and was prepared "to fight this out to the end".
