The Student Development and Leadership Unit (SDLU) has received a complaint about the recent student elections at medical school campus.
Vuvuzela received an e-mail listing complaints of irregularities. These included incorrect publication of voting days.
The election dates published on March 22 stated that the election would run from “Monday 26th March to Friday 28th March” (sic) whereas the notices should’ve read Monday to Wednesday.
However, 2011 MSC President Abigail Keene said students on campus were verbally notified during classes. Keene said the wrong dates were initially printed but this was corrected on the official medical school Facebook group and official class website.
“I feel [that] the student should have come to the MSC before the election started if he [the student] had a query in this regard and not wait until afterwards,” said Keene.
Responding to whether or not enough students knew about the elections, Keith Cousins, treasurer for the 2011 MSC, said: “Because the student believes that Facebook was the only mode of communication, he [the student] thinks not enough students were aware of the elections and thus the election result did not reach quorum.”
A sub-section of the MSC Constitution states that “the election shall be declared invalid if less than 30% of the electorate votes”.
Cousins said: “If this is the case, and the election was approved by SDLU, then we feel the issue must be investigated and rectified by SDLU.”
SDLU head Lamese Abrahams said they have referred the complaint to the Wits Legal Office.
Zahraa Khotu, newly elected MSC president, said she was not aware of any complaints about irregularities in the voting process. “The SRC, SDLU and faculty handle all voting protocol and counting, thus enforcing an unbiased process.
“If there is a viable problem re-elections occur. Since there have been no re-elections, I have no reason to believe that students are unhappy.”
Khotu also pointed out that the election process occurs over three days and is open for all students to vote.
