#UPLBElections2015: Election guidelines nearing approval

By GUIEN GARMA

The Central Electoral Board (CEB), the governing body for the annual University Student Council and college student councils elections, are a few steps away from approving the guidelines for this year’s polls, which is set on April 22-23.

In a meeting on March 2, the Board has already agreed upon the following schedule:

• March 16: Start of election period; start of filing of certificates of candidacy
• March 26: Deadline for submission of certificates of candidacy at college secretaries
• March 27: Deadline for submission of certificates of candidacy at SOAD; CEB meeting for approval of candidates
• March 30: Posting of names of candidates; candidates’ orientation; start of campaign period
• April 6: Deadline for qualification protests
• April 13: Opening salvo: Electoral forum courtesy of the Perspective
• April 16: USC electoral debate courtesy of the Perspective
• April 20: Miting De Avance

The College of Veterinary Medicine Student Council requested that they be allowed to conduct their miting de avance before the scheduled date.

Tarps ‘highly discouraged’

There was a lengthy discussion on the campaign materials. Dr. Leticia Afuang, Office of Student Affairs (OSA) Director, suggested that tarpaulins be banned for the campaign, following recommendations from the Solid Waste Management Committee of the University.

However, USC Chair Allen Lemence asserted that the aim of campaigns is to reach all people. He also said that existing rules on the use of tarpaulins in UPLB should be followed. Perspective’s chief editor Jil Caro also said that parties should be able to recycle their tarps or give it to people who would be able to recycle these materials.

Afuang also looked into the possibility of limiting parts of the total allowable financial budget of political parties for tarpaulins, but College of Development Communication’s (CDC) college secretary, Prof. Mia Castillo, said that the spending on campaign materials – tarpaulins or not – should be at the discretion of the parties.

Thus, the Board agreed that the usage of tarpaulins should be “highly discouraged.”

 

Violations and sanctions

The CEB also agreed upon the following sanctions:

• Disqualification for vote buying and black propaganda
• No proclamation for winning parties for non-compliance with submission of financial statement
• Disqualification for non-graduating independent candidates for non-compliance with submission of financial statement
• Holding of clearance at OSA level for graduating independent candidates for non-compliance with submission of financial statement

This publication’s editor-in-chief volunteered that the Perspective will get the financial statements from the political parties. [P]

For more news updates on the upcoming USC-CSC elections, follow #UPLBElections2015 on all our online platforms.

DISCLOSURE: The editor-in-chief of the UPLB Perspective is part of the Central Electoral Board. However, in the spirit of transparency, the editor-in-chief requested the CEB to allow one more section editor to sit in the meetings for coverage on the conditions that only the EIC will have voting powers on behalf of the publication and that the minutes of the meetings and news stories related to the meeting will be released upon the Board’s approval of the minutes.

News stories in relation to the fourth CEB meeting held on March 9 will be published on this website upon the approval of the minutes.