Big Brother-esque, it might sound, and that's what it is. In under 24hrs a new EUSA President will have been announced, and EUSA will have a new team of elected representatives to take on the views of 25000+ students and Life/Associate Members.
The choices in the Sabbatical elections are quite stark: there are candidates at opposite ends of the spectrum; there are candidates selling their soul; there are "ordinary students". The question now is, what will people decide that they want. People have asked me to state on this blog who I think would be right for EUSA: I don't believe I should say - people can work it out from my posts above what I think about the candidates, and people who know me, know I have the bad touch when I sometimes publicly support candidates, so I won't do that here.
Democracy is a dangerous weapon - and the people have it.
As a footnote to the democracy point (and in the interests of accountability ...) those who know how NUS Delegates work will have noticed that two of the Presidential Candidates already have seats on the bus to Blackpool, and will have also noticed that the President-elect also gets a seat. As such, should either Josh or Adam win, their elected NUS Delegate seat would go to the next highest losing candidate on the NUS election list from last October ... which irony of ironies would be me. Funny how these things work.
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5 comments:
Since when has the President-elect been given an automatic place at Conference? NUS only allows one officer bearer to be sent ex-officio (23h in the NUS Constitution), and in EUSA that is the President, not the President-elect.
Sorry Jordan.
I'm going to hazard a guess that the only constitutional geek up at this hour would be in Canada, and that makes in Pete. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong.
Since when, you ask? Well clearly this year - after all, I didn't just imagine the phone call from a member of the EUSA staff yesterday (Wed) morning about this point.
So, sorry Anon: I think in the case, you'll find you're wrong!
Nice detective work, Holmes.
I think you'll find I'm right, and that's why I argued against giving the President-elect an automatic place last year. Only one delegate can go ex-officio and all others must be elected by cross-campus ballot.
Read the NUS constitution at http://resource.nusonline.co.uk/media/resource/Constitution%2020051.pdf.
Its not me that you want to take the issue up with - it is the Assoc. Exec ... I'm powerless after all! I'm just reporting things as I know them. And I know very well the phone and in person conversations had with the same member of EUSA Staff. And the commentary is as noted in the blog entry.
Such is life.
I was confused as to why Adam or Josh getting elected would 'free up' a new spot, but I've just realised only 13 people were elected in October instead of our entitlement of 14 (+1, the Pres).
So you should be going anyway, as 14 people should have been elected in October.
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