The result of the election for Chairperson of the Central Societies Committee (CSC), which was won by Ludivine Rebet, has been declared null and void. As president of the Phil for the 2015/16 year, Rebet took a sabbatical year to fulfill the demands of the position which following a post-election review by the CSC, made her ineligible for the position.
Those considering to run for both executive and ordinary member positions were invited to attend an information session on March 8. According to an email sent out by the CSC, Rebet had described herself at the meeting as an “intermitting student” while carrying out her presidency and had indicated her intention to run for the executive.
The email stated further that the “full ramifications of her status were not appreciated” by committee members and officers present at the meeting, who did not call into question Rebet’s eligibility for running for office or ordinary membership. Rebet ran for the role of chairperson, the nominations for which closed on March 16. She secured the position at the CSC’s annual general meeting on the March 23, running against Matt Murtagh and Maeve Walsh.
In a meeting held prior to the AGM Michael Scholz was deemed ineligible to run for the position of treasurer on account of his “off-books” status.
The CSC claims in the email that Rebet’s status as a student taking a sabbatical year was not brought to the attention of Strategic Development Officer Joseph O’Gorman until March 31, at which point he notified the CSC’s officers that an investigation would have to be carried out on Rebet’s status and its relation to the CSC constitution.
The review concluded that Rebet was ineligible to run for chairperson at the AGM on March 23 and that the election is now null and void: “The position of the Chair of the CSC is deemed vacant.”
A second election for the role of CSC chairperson will take place in Michaelmas term of the 2016/2017 academic year at the committee’s term general meeting. Honorary treasurer Ronan Hodson, as vice-chairperson of the committee and executive, will act as chairperson until the position is filled.
18/07/2017 – Article updated for lucidity.
