On Campus

UTSU exec resigns and students won’t get to elect successor

For a group of people who continually complain about U of T’s Governing Council not being elected, they have a funny way of showing their commitment to grassroots democracy

The Varsity reports the vice-president university affairs of the University of Toronto Students’ Union, Binish Ahmed, has resigned for personal reasons. But students shouldn’t expect to be able to elect their new representative.

UTSU bylaws do not require elections to be held for vacancies that occur during the academic year. The bylaws do require an election if the vacancy occurs in the summer. The resignation was submitted on August 22 but didn’t become effective until September 8.

So the University of Toronto Students’ Union has decided since the resignation is effective September 8, they will not give students the opportunity to vote for Ahmed’s replacement.

Instead, the UTSU will appoint their own VP uni affairs (who will likely be one of their own).

The bylaws do not stop the UTSU from holding an election, but merely make it optional.

For a bunch of people who love to complain about the university’s highest governing body, the Governing Council, not being democratically elected, you’d think they would be committed to grassroots democracy.

Hypocrites.

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