The Concordia Student Union (CSU) election contestations were issued last Friday. Chief Electoral Officer Tara Tavender has five days from Friday to investigate the contestations and decide whether penalties will be imposed.
Below are the contestations currently under investigation.
AGAINST CONCORDIANS IN ACTION
CIA postered in bathrooms, which violates the poster policy.
Use of Amnesty International list serve, to solicit and collect information about alleged elections violations.
AGAINST CONCORDIANS IN ACTION & ELECTEES FROM “PROGRESSIVE COALITION FOR STUDENT INVOLVEMENT”
Violation of CEO Supplemental Directives (see this year’s Info Pack), with regards to slate-candidate affiliations. The “coalition’s” campaign materials contains CIA’s (word for word) platform.
AGAINST NEW EVOLUTION
Current CSU Executive may have used their CSU cell phones in promotional phone calls for New Evolution.
New Evolution members violating CEO directives, and telling people to go and vote during the polling period.
Overall pro-New Evolution influence in this year’s electoral process (the sum of all points listed below), so as to unfairly bias the entire electoral process.
Student information illegally/wrongfully/unethically obtained by New Evolution campaigners, for use in their campaign (specifically a telephone campaign). May have involved information taken off of a petition. May also involve use of ASFA and/or CSU resources. There may be evidence of similar tactics having been used last year, in the promotion of Evolution under the same campaigns people.
Possible New Evolution promotion by party outside of CSU, in the form of a survey (administered by Synovate-Americas; possibly associated with Concordia professor Guy Lachapelle).
Use of ECA member lists by New Evolution supporters outside of ECA, to promote the slate.
New Evolution’s supporters using old CSU club lists to contact students to promote the slate, against CSU elections regulations. Evidence: declaration made by slate member during CUTV televised debate.
Failure of New Evolution to complete the terms of their sanction, concerning their former supporter, Stuart Letovsky. Specifically: slate members were to address groups under the Concordia Athletics department to address misinformation being circulated, and to distance themselves from anything Mr. Letovsky may or may not have said.
Personal defamation of CIA members by New Evolution during classroom visits, which could carry into member involvement in the university, outside of CIA.
Involvement in circulation of anti-CIA “Samer” poster.
Possible monetary compensation provided for athletes, participating in New Evolution’s postering committee, on the first night of campaigns. (Allegations relate back to Mr. Letovsky and any influence he may or may not have had over athletes/coaches at Concordia.)
Early postering done by New Evolution. supporters, on the first night of campaigns, at the Loyola Campus.
New Evolution member(s) continuing to receive salaries during the campaigns period, despite having taken a temporary leave without pay (from the CSU; from other sources?)
New Evolution posters in Chinese and Arabic, which were worded to bribe students to vote for the slate (whether intentional or not).
New Evolution platform included promises of a “World Speakers Series,” which is actually an ASFA project.
PEOPLE’S POTATO (INDIRECTLY VS. NEW EVOLUTION)
The Link editorial misled students, suggesting a positive affiliation between the People’s Potato, the current CSU executive, and New Evolution, which thus helped New Evolution’s campaign.
AGAINST RENAISSANCE CONCORDIA
Had a non-student present on their postering team, on the first night of campaigns.
FROM RCMP
Inappropriate that CEO excluded RCMP from discussions attended by several other slate members concerning New Evolution sanctions, early in the campaign period.
FROM QPIRG
Unequal access to postering space, as university walls were dominated by executive slates’ posters.
CEO directives suggested that QPIRG could not affiliate with slates or candidates in this year’s elections, which interfered with the “yes” committee’s ability to publicize its position. Le Frigo Vert committees, on the other hand, worked with candidates/slates, and received much publicity because of it.
BALLOTS
Format of Executive ballot may have misled some voters to fill in the circle of a crossed-off slate, when voting for New Evolution.
POSTER ISSUES
Security guards took down some posters.
Several groups had posters removed by unknown persons/groups.
Anti-CIA poster posted during polling period, featuring doctored up picture of Samer Elatrash, so as to discredit CIA to voters.
LARGE AFFILIATED CANDIDATES GROUP
(Starts with Josa Alley, ends with David Zand)
I think the gist of this complaint, is that the group was advertised through list serves.
Second complaint regarding this e-mail: circulation of e-mail during polling period.
OTHER LIST SERVE ISSUES
CARA using list serve to criticize New Evolution, and to promote a cluster of candidates.
AGAINST SAMER ELATRASH AS A CIA SUPPORTER
Samer antagonizing postering participants with other slates, on the first night of campaigning.
*Information provided by Tara Tavender
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