The Concordian

Issue date: 11/27/07 Section: News

Candidates' posters clearly distinguish the two different slates running for council.

Chief Electoral Officer of the CSU, Jason Druker, wants a problem-free election. He said he is more prepared for this week's by-election than he was for the general election last spring, from which allegations of electoral fraud still lingers.
Druker said that he has been working with David Baker, the Service Assistant to the Dean of Students, to find out which faculties each of the candidates are in and to ensure "honesty between them." All for the effort to ensure that some allegations won't be repeated.
The status of two councillors elected last Spring, Steven Rosenshein and David Kogut, are still being contested. Councillors-elect must be studying in the faculty which they aim to represent on council.
According to the CEO, he understands how people could feel unsettled about "what happened last year," but has taken the appropriate measures to make sure that nothing like that happens again. Although he added that the allegation of electoral fraud were "absurd."
"I've had ample time to put polling clerks, counters and all staff through a screening process that consists of a little questionnaire," he said.
Voters will be presented with two teams each fielding three candidates, who hope to win a seat on the CSU Council. Although the candidates run as affiliates with certain common goals, each must be elected individually.
The CEO hopes that voter turnout this week will top last year's 8,000 plus voters, a Concordia record according to Druker. He said he will ensure high voter turnout by "placing polling stations in high traffic areas on both campuses."


The candidates

Uniting Students (US), represented by Engineering and Computer Science student Louay Jasser along with Arts and Science students Beisan Zubi and Dan McSharry, stand for "fixing [Concordia's] flawed elections system" as well as "continuing to make Concordia one of the most environmentally conscious campuses in Canada," among others matters.
Zubi said she is not aligned with either UNITY or the current opposition slate, Go!Concordia. She said she would like to bring a "centre" party to campus politics.
Their opponents, United For a Better Concordia, comprises of Arts and Science students Bryan Soloway, Elie Chivi and ENCS student Alex Brovkin who want "a sustainable student union and university" in addition to "defending the rights of international students," along with other issues.

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