Ali resigns as Arts Rep, Balfour withdraws name for consideration

 By Alison Roach

At last week’s SFSS board of director’s meeting, it was announced that Alia Ali has resigned from the role of Arts Representative. Following Ali’s recent disqualification from the position of SFSS University Relations Officer (URO), which she narrowly won in last month’s election, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) brought a recommendation to leave the URO seat empty, and to also hold a by-election.

The motion to leave the URO seat vacant for the time being was passed easily. The current board of directors chose to not vote on the motion to call a by-election, instead deciding to put it in front of the newly elected board once they come into power in May.

News of Ali’s retroactive disqualification broke last week as it was revealed by the IEC that they had never received proof of Ali being a currently registered student, rendering her ineligible for candidacy. In the official recommendation by the IEC, chief electoral officer Avery Kwong wrote, “According to a list provided to the Independent Electoral Commission by Kris Nordgren, Senate & Academic Services, Alia Ali is not a registered student taking a course or a program this semester.”

The letter goes on to say that the IEC has decided to leave the seat vacant, and recommends the 2013 board of directors to consider a by-election in the fall to fill the vacant position. This ruling was based on previous incident where candidates have been disqualified after the voting period.

One of the other options previously under consideration by the IEC was to give the URO position to runner-up candidate Brock Balfour, who lost to Ali by only 29 votes. However, Balfour responded to this possibility in a letter to the board saying that he would like to withdraw his name from consideration, as he had decided upon his loss to move forward with his graduation.

The motion to leave the URO seat vacant was passed after an extensive discussion, during which former IEC commissioner and current member of the SFU senate appeals board Ben Lee pointed out personal concerns on how the situation was handled. “The IEC must always act and be perceived to act impartially,” Lee said, “and in my opinion, I think Avery [Kwong] made an exception to Alia in allowing her nomination papers to stand, despite the confirmation by Kris [Nordgren] that she was not a registered student.”

The IEC explained previously that Alia promised in good faith to provide documentation that she was a registered student and had withdrawn under extenuating circumstances, but never delivered this proof, leading Lee to question why Alia was allowed to proceed with her candidacy in good faith. This good faith was based on personal reasons of Ali’s that the IEC did not divulge.

Kwong dismissed this allegation, responding: “Not having the situation exposed, I don’t understand how you could say that the IEC made a sympathetic decision.”

When The Peak asked SFSS president Lorenz Yeung, who acted as chair during the board meeting, if Alia not being a registered student also has repercussions on her term as arts representative this past semester, he replied, “No, she’s resigned.”