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

[Renata Aquino Ribeiro]

Hi Amr

Whether or not a deal/agreement for rotating vice-chairs is in place,
the position of interim vice-chair would be, as the name suggests, a
temporary one and could be an exception to such agreement, I believe.
So I wouldn`t worry.
However, it does seem that there could be more on the IP rep objection
which I fail to see.

Best,

Renata


On Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 12:08 PM, Amr Elsadr <aelsadr at egyptig.org> wrote:
> 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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