Election Tribunals Farce
AS THE OXFORD STUDENT WENT TO PRESS the results of this week's OUSU Presidential election remained unclear amid a mass of electoral complaints and tribunals.
Six days after polling day and three days after the results were expected to be released, the future of the OUSU Presidency hung in the balance while complaints made against Presidential Candidate Kirsty McNeill were referred to a Senior Tribunal. If McNeill was found guilty of the charges it could possibly result in her disqualification from the election. It is unclear at this stage when the final decision will be released.
However this was only the last of a series of complaints which have plagued this year's OUSU elections. With the election threatening to descend into farce several electoral tribunals have already been held. Before going to press only the results of four tribunals were known. The full list of election results will not be available until all the complaints have been dealt with.
The first tribunal was concerned with the 'one member one vote' (OMOV) referendum. The complaint centred around a JCR motion debated at University College on the subject of OMOV. The complaint suggested that the passing of this motion, which criticised OMOV, might have had some influence on voting in the referendum. The election tribunal decided to uphold the complaint and that there were grounds to invalidate the referendum section of the vote in Univ. Earlier Magdalen and LMH had their main ballot papers invalidated.
A second tribunal heard a complaint made by one of the presidential candidates, George Rowell. This was made against a 'scrutineer' of the Magdalen college ballot box who was accused of making 'inappropriate actions'. The tribunal dismissed this complaint.
Rowell was accused himself in yet another tribunal. On this occasion he was said to have made false claims in a speech at the Oxford Union hustings to prove a point in his speech. The tribunal found these claims did contravene rules and accordingly fined him £10.
A further tribunal heard five complaints against Hugh Sawyer, an activist for presidential candidate, Kirsty McNeil and a former JCR president at Hertford. Two of the complaints were upheld. The tribunal found that Sawyer was guilty of verbally abusing Mary Stevens, also a member of Hertford, and candidate for OUSU executive on presidential candidate Barney Sandell's slate, at a Hertford JCR meeting. He was also found responsible for a telephone message left for Barney Sandell at St. Edmund Hall in which it was alleged that "a tabloid newspaper would publish a story regarding Mr. Sandell's personal life." In both cases the Tribunal found that Sawyer's actions created "a hostile working environment" for both Stevens and Sandell. The tribunal had no power to take action against Sawyer, as he had not yet become an activist for McNeil at the time the offences were committed.
Thus far Barney Sandell is the only presidential candidate not to have charges against him brought before an election tribunal.
18th Nov 1999