Nineteen young Hawaiian candidates participating the current elections for delegates to a convention focused on Native Hawaiian governance have issued a call for registered voters to take part in the process, which has come under fire recently from some vocal community members.

The group, which calls itself Nā Makalehua, represents nearly 10 percent of the more than 200 candidates vying for 40 delegate seats to the ‘aha or convention being organized by the independent community organization Na‘i Aupuni.

But the group’s impact may extend beyond its numbers, given that it both represents the next generation of leadership and includes some faces already familiar to those who follow public affairs. State Rep. Kaniela Ing, Catelin Aiwohi of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Washington, D.C., office, law student/writer Zuri Aki are among those who supported a news release issued Tuesday by the organization.

“This is the first opportunity for our generation to participate in a convention empowered by so many Native Hawaiians to move our community forward. Many have come before us and they have built a solid foundation for us to stand on,” Amy Kalili, a delegate candidate for Hawai‘i Island, said in the release.

Added O‘ahu delegate candidate Jocelyn Doane, “We are very aware of our kuleana (responsibility) to represent and honor those who came before us, who taught, advised and raised us to respect our people and our homeland.”

Longtime Molokai Native Hawaiian activist Walter Ritte Jr. is among those who have emerged as critics of the elections process in recent weeks. Ritte withdrew his delegate candidacy last week and called for a boycott of the election, criticizing voter qualifications that he said exclude “four-fifths of all Native Hawaiians.” Environmental/cultural conservationist Trisha Kehaulani Watson sharply criticized Na‘i Aupuni and the elections process in a Civil Beat opinion piece that has drawn thousands of comments, likes and shares since its publication last week.

Na‘i Aupuni has registered about 95,000 voters and began sharing ballots with them on Sunday, Nov. 1, for the month-long election. Forty delegates are to be elected, with representation allotted to each island and off-island populations based on population. Winners are scheduled to be announced on Dec. 1.

A convention will then be held on Oahu for eight consecutive full work weeks between February and April of next year. While a recommendation on Native Hawaiian governance isn’t a requirement of the ‘aha, “if delegates recommend a form of Hawaiian government, a ratification vote may be held” among all Native Hawaiian voters, according to the Na‘i Aupuni website.

Nā Makalehua held a news conference at the Hawai‘i State Capitol Promenade on Tuesday morning to further detail its call for participation in the elections.