Hilda’s JCR election result annulled as dons forced to intervene
College authorities were forced to intervene in the St. Hilda’s JCR election amid accusations of malpractice. The election has been declared invalid and nominations re-opened after electoral regulations were breached last Thursday. It is alleged students had not been given due notice of the nominations. However, members of the JCR committee claim an unconstitutional campaign as the reason the election was cancelled.
Several students initiated a campaign for TESSA, the college’s equivalent of reopen nominations (RON), claiming they had been unfairly prevented from standing as a candidate because they were not informed of when the nominations were due. Campaigning for TESSA is electorally unconstitutional. Those involved claim they were unaware of this and stopped campigning as soon as they discovered their actions to be in breach of electoral regulations.
Current President, Suzanne McClelland, informed the JCR the following day that the election would be re-run due to severe breaches of electoral conduct which could have affected the outcome. The ballot is now due to be held on Monday of 5th week. The winner of last week’s ballot was never announced, but the leading candidate, Ailbhe Menton, obtained 71 votes. The only other candidate achieved 46 votes, with 22 being cast for TESSA.
A first year student, who did not wish to be named, told The Oxford Student: “We were given very short notice. Suzanne sent us an email at the weekend telling us the husts would be on Monday, but there had been no notice of when to submit nominations.
However, the JCR’s Student Union representative Rachel Standing, told The Oxford Student: “The Returning Officer acted in accordance with her duties as laid out in the JCR constitution, providing sufficient publicity of the election and the manifesto deadline. “ When contacted by this newspaper the college refused to comment on the reason for the election being declared invalid.
19th May 2005