KSA by-election and referendum canceled

By Matt DiMera
[news editor]

Kwantlen senior administrators put an indefinite hold on last week’s student association by-election and referendum, alleging that KSA elected officials had compromised the independence of the chief returning officer (CRO) and that the KSA’s own election rules had already been broken.

In a Sept. 16 letter sent to the KSA’s chief returning officer Jagjeet Kaur Gill, KPU registrar Robert Hensley and associate vice president students Jody Gordon refused to allow election polling stations on university property and refused to turn over the list of eligible voters.

In the letter they accused Gill of “capitulating to the direction of an elected official and carrying out the election despite the concerns raised to you by the University and now several students.”

According to Hensley and Gordon, on Sept. 14 Gill agreed to act on several of the university’s concerns by changing the dates of the election, but backed down after receiving directions from KSA president Harman “Sean Birdman” Bassi.

“You have allowed your independence as CRO to be compromised by the interference of an elected KSA official, Mr. Bassi, into the elections process,” they wrote.

“It is the position of the University that you as CRO cannot carry out an election process that you know is in violation of the KSA’s own by-laws and regulations, violates fundamental democratic processes and interferes with your independence as the CRO. The University expects you to carry out your duties as a CRO in a manner that is consistent with a fair and democratic election.”

In a Sept. 19 letter sent to council members, KSA president Bassi disagreed with the allegations, accusing the university of interference. According to Bassi, the university had agreed one month earlier to hand over the voters list but then refused to comply.

“Jody Gordon has now refused to deliver the voters list to the KSA. Therefore, the by-election and referendum are cancelled. This has resulted in damage to the KSA and our students,” wrote Bassi.

He advised in his letter that all questions should be directed to Gordon, as the KSA would “not be commenting until a final report on the process is complete.

He further explained that the KSA would be developing its own “separate student voting registry” to “absolve the University of any reasons to interfere in future Student Association elections.”

KSA official spokesperson Bassi refused requests for an interview, when contacted by The Runner Sept. 22.

Hensley and Gordon also expressed other concerns about the scheduled Sept. 21 and 22 by-election in their letter, alleging that proper notice of nominations for the by-election had not been posted as required by KSA regulations. According to the university, notice of nominations should have been posted by Aug. 23.

They also raised the issue of the lack of a campaign period before polling and were concerned that a final voters list would not be ready until after the scheduled election.

Before being appointed as chief returning officer this month, Gill previously served as president of the Graduate Students’ Association at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto from 2009 to 2010. She also was a deputy returning officer for Elections Canada in 2007 and 2011.

Gill did not return Runner phone calls before deadline.