Re: [ga] Motion to prepare for Chair elections [was: GA Chairman election]

[Joop Teernstra <terastra@terabytz.co.nz>]

At 08:52 31/10/00 +0100, Harald Alvestrand wrote:

>>2. hold elections for Chair as soon as this roll is established, so that a
>>new Chair can take his place as your term expires.
>>3. petition the Board for a Bylaw amendment that will give such a GA
>>elected Chair a legitimate role.
>
>Given the success of the AtLarge, we will inevitably be asked if the few 
>hundred members of the GA voting registry are truly representative of the 
>much larger set of interested parties.

All that is being proposed is that this small group elects for itself a
Chair to preside over it's meetings.
The Chair does not have to be representative of anything. All he/she needs
to be is effective, unbiased and decisive, so that this GA can actually
become meaningful.

>In such a small group within a much larger group, there is a very real risk 
>of "capture by special interests" (other than the present suspects).

If you mean "the recognized constituencies as represented in the NC" as
present suspects, then the "capture" of the GA by "other special interests"
(if I look at the composition of the GA, it could only be DN holders'
interests) would actually be a Good Thing. It would reflect that these
interests are currently not represented on the NC.

But a Chair election will not facilitate such capture.

>So a "tripwire" function to "legally" precipitate a crisis when a problem 
>occurs is a Good Thing, I think.
>
>I would want to amend the Bylaws (copy from 
>http://www.dnso.org/dnso/aboutdnso.html) from:
>
> >(i) The NC shall elect the Chairman of the GA annually.
>
>to:
>
> >(i) The GA elects its own chair.
> >The NC must confirm the election before the chair can take office.
>
I respectfully disagree with that last clause, Harald. The NC should not
have the power to render the GA chairless.

Otherwise, I agree with you that instant runoff would be the best method
for electing a Chair.
But first: nominations.




--Joop--
www.idno.org
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