ELECTION CHALLENGE PARALYZES NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.

Byline: - James Nash

An emotionally charged election for a panel to represent Van Nuys at Los Angeles City Hall came no closer to resolution Wednesday, five days after a group of losing candidates challenged the results of the election.

The 13 newly elected members of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council were scheduled to take office Wednesday. But with nine of the members facing challenges to their elections, the new council did not meet Wednesday and an interim group - which helped set up the election - met instead.

Several losing candidates said the Feb. 8 election for the neighborhood council was tainted and should be held again. The losing candidates allege that a group of Latino activists solicited people off the street to vote for a slate of candidates on election day, violating a rule against electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place.

The winning candidates and an activist who helped them, Enrique Aragon, deny the allegations.

In an interview last week, Aragon denied that any candidates broke the rules and said the winners simply outperformed the losers in mobilizing their friends and neighbors to vote.

Jim Leahy, the head of the interim neighborhood council, said the challenges will be resolved within 40 days.

Leahy, who did not run for a seat on the permanent council, said that in the meantime, people should refrain from personal attacks.

The challenge has paralyzed the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council, one of a network of more than 60 panels that are supposed to provide community representation at Los Angeles City Hall.

On Wednesday, it was unclear even who would rule on the election challenge.