Oriel referendum row
Oriel JCR vote today to decide whether to reaffiliate to OUSU, as controversy brews over the conduct of the referendum itself.
The College first disaffiliated from the Student Union in 2001, and under the 1994 Education Act institutions are obliged to discuss affiliation annually.
Controversy has taken hold of this year's referendum, however, as campaigns for and against OUSU affiliation have been launched, both displaying posters within the college.
David Follows, ex-JCR President of Oriel, is heading the campaign not to rejoin the central student body. He, as it happens, is currently a member of the College MCR, which is actually affiliated to OUSU.
It has emerged that three people quoted on the posters promoting continued disaffiliation are to register complaints about the use of their remarks, with all three claiming that they have been quoted out of context.
Nick Anstead, ex-Mansfield JCR President, is quoted on the posters as saying: "OUSU is too dominated by a narrow group of students in the University." However, in a letter to Mohammed Khuram, Returning Officer of Oriel JCR, seen by The OxStu, he claims to have been misquoted from a 2002 article in Cherwell, arguing: "The quote misrepresents my views generally and the ideas I laid out in the article in particular... I am at a loss to understand how anyone could read the original article and believe that it argues for disaffiliation."
James Coatsworth, current Mansfield JCR President, was quoted on the poster as saying: "There is no denying that OUSU needs to be reformed." He told The OxStu he will be writing to complain: "I've been taken out of context and I am not happy being associated with an anti-OUSU campaign."
Rosie Buckland, OUSU VP Welfare, is quoted as remarking: "Council should be inclusive, sometimes there is less of a debate than there should be, it becomes intimidating." However, in a written complaint to Oriel she claims that "it was not intended to form any part of anti-OUSU propaganda... The way in which I am quoted does not give any suggestion of context at all, to its detriment, and I am unhappy that this is not the case."
All three argue that they were not informed of the use of their remarks on the posters.
Khuram has begun procedures to set up a tribunal to investigate the complaints, telling The OxStu: "Anyone found guilty of electoral malpractice should know that retribution will be swift, sure and total. Whatever the arguments both for and against affiliating to OUSU, these must... adhere to the rules necessary to ensure a free and fair election."
20th May 2004