The electoral Rhino charging across the Yukon's political landscape will not be stopped dead in its tracks by an accountant or lack thereof.

The Rhino party tried to make a comeback by running one candidate in the June 28 federal election here in the Yukon.

When the potential candidate, Big Ben Mahony, and his campaign manager, Brian Godzilla Salmi, went to file the nomination form Monday by the 2 p.m. deadline, they had the requisite 50 names and the $1,000-deposit in hand.

But the application was denied because the candidate did not have a letter indicating a certified accountant would be his auditor. Without that, the Rhino's comeback was shutdown.

A frantic search Monday left the pair with a couple of options but they were not certified accountants. Certified accountants they did talk to yesterday were either unreachable, not taking new clients or unwilling to represent Mahony.

The Rhino party, formerly Canada's satirical party, is legendary for pulling various publicity stunts and having worked with it for years, Salmi has been a part of some of those.

But that's not what happened here, according to Salmi.

'This wasn't set up this way; this was not supposed to happen,' he said.

'We made every effort that we could to get an accountant.'

Mahony decided a week ago he would come back to his home of Whitehorse, from Alberta, to run as the lone Rhino candidate. Driving, the pair arrived last Thursday.

As campaign manager, Salmi admitted he let the campaign down by not trying to find an accountant before yesterday but he feels the requirement is ridiculous.

As Salmi pointed out, accountants could bring the country to its knees if they all agreed not to represent a single candidate in an election.

The election could not happen because there would be no eligible candidates and with a dissolved Parliament, the MPs would not be able to change the law requiring the accountant.

Salmi said today he and Mahony will fight the election law on the challenge that it violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by denying citizens the right, under sec. 3, to be part of the House of Commons.

'Ben Mahony has been denied his right, his most sacred right.'

He said a court ruling on a Communist Party of Canada lawsuit a couple of years ago indicated that requiring a deposit to enter an election is against the Charter and tantamount to getting people to pay to vote. However, the ruling did not strike down the deposit.

Salmi said the requirement for an accountant is the same as the deposit.

'Again, it comes down to an economic means test,' he said.

They found one accountant willing to take on the job but that person asked them to pay $500 on top of the $200-fee Elections Canada would receive.

Salmi said they were told this job is worth more than what Elections Canada pays.

Ultimately, Mahony agreed to pay the $500. When that accountant was contacted, however, the decision-makers in the office who could give them the green light were out of the office until after the 2 p.m. deadline, according to Salmi.

Now, while the pair fights the Charter challenge, they'll try to get a court injunction putting Mahony's name on the ballot.

This is not the first such Charter challenge for Salmi. He has another challenge on the books from the 2001 B.C. election because he didn't have the $100 for the deposit. He's arguing the deposit is against the Charter.

With the court actions likely coming, Salmi said, the pair will continue to campaign as if Mahony is on the ballot.

Last Friday, campaigning meant the duo was wandering around downtown Whitehorse in full-body underwear with paper towel rhino horns on their foreheads.

When Mahony's candidacy was announced last Friday, the pair also unveiled some of the party's policy plans.

One idea would have all flag carriers at road construction sites selling Yukon-made beer for people who have to wait on the highway. Anyone who has to wait for more than five minutes for construction would get free beer.

The Rhinos would also hire a Quebec consultant from the Liberal government sponsorship scandal to help the Yukon beg Ottawa for money more efficiently.

As well, the Rhinos would change the name of the Yukon to 'Groupaction', then invoice Ottawa for $250 million before getting the money back.

Groupaction is the name of the company accused of being part of the swindle of the government in the sponsorship scandal which cost Canada $250 million.

The Rhino party ran throughout Canada from 1965 to 1988. In the past, its proposals have included repealing the law of gravity and solving constitutional disputes with a hockey tournament.

Salmi ran for the party in 1988 against John Fraser, then the Speaker of the House of Commons, in Vancouver.

He would run again five years later in a different Vancouver riding against then-prime minister Kim Campbell under the name Brian Godzilla Gnu Salmi. Between the two elections, he scored more than 285 votes.

However, in 1993, he ran as independent because the Rhino party fell apart. It's no longer registered with Elections Canada.

He wants the party revitalized by the next federal election with the Yukon run being the genesis of that. However, he said the party won't make the mistake of running again.

The party has been known for its colourful candidates in the past with names on the ballot such as: Frank Tee Pee Red Coffey; Fred Horny Lake; Washboard Hank Fisher; Douglas Boss Hogg Craig; Wowie Zowie Zubek; Alfred the Alien Frinton and Ruff Tuff Duff Duff Scott.

There is no timeline right now for the court challenges.