[NCUC-DISCUSS] Question on SCI Project Regarding Procedures on GNSO Council Chair Elections

[Amr Elsadr]

Hi,

The GNSO’s Standing Committee on Improvements (SCI) is looking into a rewrite of the GNSO Operating Procedures’ guidelines on Council Chair elections. This was tasked to the SCI at the request of the GNSO Council following the failure of the Council to elect a chair in the first election round at the last AGM in Dublin.

This is an ongoing project, so there is still no consensus call, but something came up during the course of the committee’s work, and I would like to ask for guidance. Particularly since the issue in question may have some background info I am not familiar with, which may have come up during the last intersessional meeting in LA a couple of months ago.

Anyway…, below is the working text of what the SCI is thinking in the event that what happened in Dublin is repeated during any future Council Chair elections. My question will follow this, but it is specific to the below scenarios 1 and 2:

> Chair/Vice Chair Elections Scenarios:
> 
> SCENARIO 1: A new GNSO Council Chair is not elected, but both Vice Chairs are continuing on the Council.
> Suggestion: “In the case where no Chair is conclusively elected, the two Vice Chairs shall jointly oversee the Chair election and conduct Council business until such time as a new Chair is elected.”
> 
> SCENARIO 2: A new GNSO Council Chair is not elected, but one Vice Chair is continuing on the Council, while the other Vice Chair’s term on the Council is ending. 
> Suggestion: “In the case where one of Vice-Chair's terms on the Council ends at the same time as the Chair, and no Chair is conclusively elected, [OPTION 1: the remaining Vice Chair shall oversee the Chair election and conduct Council business until such time as a new Chair is elected] OR [OPTION 2: the House with a vacant Vice-Chair position shall designate an Interim Vice Chair to join the continuing Vice Chair to oversee the Chair election and conduct Council business.  The deadline for the vacant House to designate its Interim Vice Chair is 10 calendar days following the Council meeting at which no Chair was conclusively elected [OR: 14 calendar days following the Council meeting at which no Chair was conclusively elected] [OR: 1 week prior to the next scheduled GNSO Council meeting.]
> 
> SCENARIO 3: A new GNSO Council Chair is not elected in the first round, and neither of the two Vice Chairs is continuing on the Council. 
> Suggestion: “In the case where both Vice-Chairs’ terms on the Council end at the same time as the Chair, and no Chair is conclusively elected, this procedure would apply: Each House should designate a new or continuing Councilor from within its respective House, which may include the voting and non-voting NCAs, to temporarily fill the role of Vice Chair on an interim basis, not as an elected Vice Chair. The deadline for each House to designate its Interim Vice Chair is 10 calendar days following the Council meeting at which no Chair was conclusively elected [OR: 14 calendar days following the Council meeting at which no Chair was conclusively elected] [OR: 1 week prior to the next scheduled GNSO Council meeting.] The Designated Interim Vice Chairs will co-chair the Chair election and conduct Council business until such time as a Chair is conclusively elected. Once the election is completed their service in those roles would end. Candidates for Chair will not be eligible to serve as Designated Interim Vice Chairs, to avoid potential conflicts of interest. [However, Interim Vice Chairs are not prohibited from being appointed as continuing Vice Chairs by their respective Houses following a successful Chair election.]
> 
> SCENARIO 4: A new GNSO Council Chair is not elected, neither of the two Vice Chairs is continuing on the Council, and the Houses do not designate Interim Vice Chairs. Suggestion: “If both Houses should fail to temporarily fill the role of Vice Chair on an interim basis, [the] non-voting NCA will be designated Interim Chair to oversee the election and conduct Council business until such time as a Chair is conclusively elected. The deadline for each House to designate its Interim Vice Chair is 10 calendar days following the Council meeting at which no Chair was conclusively elected [OR: 14 calendar days following the Council meeting at which no Chair was conclusively elected] [OR: 1 week prior to the next scheduled GNSO Council meeting]”

The whole point of this exercise is to make sure that the GNSO Council does not find itself leaderless as the result of an election that failed to produce a winning candidate for Council Chair. In the first two scenarios, the suggestion is for sitting Council Vice-Chairs from each House, who are continuing on as Councillors, to remain as interim Vice-Chairs to see the election through a second round (and possibly although unlikely for more rounds than just a second round).

My question is this: Has there been any agreement made between the NCSG and CSG at the last intersessional that may make this problematic? Like I said, this was raised by the IPC rep to the SCI. She was concerned that a deal struck between the NCSG and CSG to rotate Council Vice-Chairs from the NCPH could prevent a sitting councillor from remaining in his/her position of Vice-Chair on an interim basis until the Chair elections are concluded?

I know that we’ve been informally following this procedure with the CSG for a few years now. Our own David Cake ended his tenure as Vice-Chair at the last AGM, and Heather Forrest from the IPC replaced him, but only after he remained as an interim Vice-Chair to oversee a second round of Chair elections. For efficiency’s sake, I would suggest that this practice continue, should it be necessary. The scenarios we are working through are starting to take shape into something the SCI can endorse, but I would appreciate any insights from folks who were in LA. I wouldn’t want to be disruptively working across other efforts the NCSG is engaged in.

A follow-up question would be, that even if this agreement has been formalised (or even if it remains informal), are there any objections or concerns to an interim Council Vice-Chair continuing on an interim basis until elections are successfully concluded?

Would really appreciate any feedback, no matter how brief, so I can try to settle this within the SCI.

Thanks.

Amr
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