The Navajo Nation president will be sworn in Tuesday to continue as the tribe's top leader — even though he badly lost his re-election bid.
That's because the Navajo presidency is in limbo over a disputed election. As a result, Ben Shelly will remain president until the mess gets sorted out.
Shelly's inauguration will be low-key and closed to the public and media. Tribal lawmakers will be sworn in during a public ceremony.
The tribe's general election for president was thrown into turmoil after a candidate was disqualified in a language fluency case.
The tribe's high court mandated a general election by Jan. 31, but Shelly and lawmakers have approved a do-over allowing all previous 17 primary election candidates to face off in a special election next summer.
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