Allegations of cheating have been made by McGreevy’s camp after a number of students received ‘All student’ emails from their school encouraging them to vote for Anderson, Critchlow, Downs, Kidd, McGibbon, and Tan. It is believed that schools forwarded this email without realising the intricacies of SU Election protocol. Student, Chris Andrews, who sent the email to the schools, told The Gown that he wouldn’t be able to comment until after the election. Returning officer, Dominic Doherty, says that this may be a matter for the election court.
BY CATHERINE WYLIE AND BRIAN QUINN
We can confirm that the email was sent by the School of English and the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, while a number of other schools didn’t forward it to students.
“This may or may not be a breach of rules. It’s not a ruling that I can make at the moment. I have arranged for another ‘all-student’ email to be sent which gives the name of all candidates involved in the election,” Doherty said.
If candidates or students aren’t happy with tomorrow’s result, the SU Constitution outlines mechanisms with which this can be addressed. See below.
Any Student who has reason to believe that there was any irregularity of any kind regarding the conduct of an Election or Referendum or Plebiscite shall have the right to lodge an Election Petition with the Returning Officer within 72 hours of the alleged irregularity or within 72 hours of the alleged irregularity becoming known. (Section 11, rule 1)
An Election (or Referendum or Plebiscite) Petition shall contain all details regarding the alleged irregularity and shall be signed by at least one person who is willing to substantiate the statements therein. (Section 11, rule 2)
Well so much for the Christian Union presidential candidate being honest in his dealings.
They must have known this was a breach of the regs. The problem is that even if there is an election court, what will it be able to do? If someone has been elected at that point, is the union going to deprive them of their position? This is the equivalent of the hanging chad – but then again Bush Jr believes the world was created in 6 days, 4 thousand years ago too.
School of Medicine sent it out too.
show me what rule was breached. I have looks through the rules in the constitution and no where does it stop this kind of stuff
“If someone has been elected at that point, is the union going to deprive them of their position?”
If they’ve been elected to a position by breaching the rules of the election, and therefore the Students’ Union constitution, there is no way that they should be allowed to retain the role uncontested.
Perhaps now people will understand that the ticket is fundamentally flawed:
Cringelow hasn’t researched his policies, the “snack bar as one of NI’s biggest event venues” idea was already discussed at management board and is waiting to be put into the SU business plan. His “cheaper soft drinks” plan would lose between £10k and £20k when the Union is in desperate need of money.
Jay Downs has a “BUY A BUS” idea – has he researched the insane insurance costs?
Adam McGibbon has stated that he’ll have free self defense lessons, this has been attempted by Susan Kearney, however, the martial arts clubs that Adam is depending on are not willing to facilitate: they are in favour of more students joining their clubs and not having a false sense of security.
Fiona Kidd… well… I don’t think she spent too long checking out what the job is. Did she forget to mention that she quit her job with Welcome Week half-way through? There are 3 ridiculously weak “campaigns”, no issues on communications.
When I was at Queen’s candidates regularly had their emails sent out by the department, was perfectly normal. Candidates also turned up at the lectures. This was only 2 years ago. Not sure if he’s actually broken any rules, but might have been an idea to look into it.
Barry Duffy sent me a similar one out to the entire law school stating that we should all vote for mcgreevy and crew. People in glass houses Gareth…
As Returning Officer, I have informed The Gown that, in my opinion, there has been no technical breach of the Constitutional Rules arising from this incident. The vast majority of Schools failed to forward the email in question, in any case.
Potassium, You might find that was administered through the Law Society, not through the school office and being on the current law society I can condone that. This was not send on behalf of the school of law not unless you got a surprise email that we didn’t?
At the end of the day, Schools should not be endorsing any particular candidates! It is ok if there are clubs and societies backing prospective officers as they are the electorate. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, the staff at Queen’s don’t have a vote!
Best of luck to Garth and the rest of his TEAM…hear that Critchlow…TEAM!
@GLASS HOUSES?
I have to applaud the Gareth McGreevy camp’s display of teamwork thus far. It was a real team decision for everyone on his side to leave hustings before Redpath got up to debate with Downs. The Critchlow ticket made the schoolboy error of being there for each other until the end and being reciprocal in the support given to each other in their respective categories.
Team work and unity further prevailed yesterday on the campaign trail when McGreevey et al seemed to visibly distance themselves from Alex Redpath, amid rumours Redpath was “hurting” his chances.
ya man, I is glad to hear that the university that is giving me my degree…I think it is somewhere in ireland, has got proactive students that enjoy giving off to the people that want to run in the elections!
It takes a lot of courage to run and there is obvious favourtism in the gown and it appears that everyone is giving out about some sort of GAA/Law alliance…when my friends on the ground tell me that the christian Union is just the same and possibly worse in that it does not contribute back into the student experience!
this is vintage dirty politics!
Reggae forever!
well folks, im sick of the christian union. what a bunch of losers. i wish they would get out of everyones face, they do notyhing for students – they are all yes men for the university, just like that brogan character. lilly and duffy forever…true representatives of the students.
Here glass houses, Im not part of the law society hence why did I receive the email?, it went out to EVERYONE in the law school. Pet,you can check the little recipients box at the top of the email if you’d like to check.Kettle black and so forth.I rest my case.
@ Mr Hatfield
Well Mr GAA pub I’m glad you’ve given us the benefit of your unbiased views.
We might be willing to take them more seriously if you weren’t wearing a beer stained Tryone shirt and had cleaned that patch of vomit from your jeans.
Still if Duffy and Lilly are true representatives of students then the whole institution has gone to hell anyway and its probably only the christian union that can “save” it.
Its about time we got rid of the complacency that goes with the law/gaa ticket. Im also totally fed up of seeing the chuckle brothers strutting around the Union like they’re two horses put out to stud, itl be a welcome change to see them without that swagger after last nights results. Anyway, if you didn’t run a decent and cohesive campaign and lost thats your fault. Get over it, you lost, the people have spoken and if you don’t like what they’ve said – why don’t you just remove students with different opinions from the union? I think thats ok – isn’t it? Surely the gown wouldn’t have been removed if it wasn’t?
I think tan sent the medical school msg.
TBH she was running round all our lectures pissing me off to a right extent. Then I got that msg too. I heard you the first time!