ASSOCIATION OF SCOTTISH COMMUNITY COUNCILS (ASCC)
ANNUAL BALLOT
VOTE NO FOR THE CANDIDATE FOR NATIONAL PRESIDENT
This year’s ballot papers are currently being distributed to member community councils. Yet again, for the fifth year in a row, member community councils of ASCC have been denied any choice in the annual ballot as to who will be elected to the posts of national officer.
The ASCC national executive, which should have a full complement of 16 members, has decided again to put only one candidate forward for election to each post.
If most community councils make no return to the ballot, as is usually the case, unhappiness with this situation will not be registered. Casting a ballot, however, suggests acquiescence in these arrangements.
The most effective way to respond would be to vote NO for the candidate for national president.
This line of action would make an important point and allow the ASCC to continue functioning if the single candidate for president is not endorsed.
These considerations again underline the need for a change to the ASCC constitution as proposed this year by a number of community councils to ensure that in future member community councils have a direct choice as to who their national officers in ASCC will be.
EDINBURGH AND LOTHIAN COMMUNITY COUNCILS EXCLUDED FROM NATIONAL OFFICER NOMINATIONS PROCEDURE
Edinburgh and Lothians local authority area representatives on ASCC were elected in April 2010. Six months later ASCC has not yet convened the meeting to elect two of them to be the members of the national executive council on behalf of community councils in the Edinburgh and Lothian regional area. This is the case despite opportunities at meetings of Executive members and area representatives in April, July and September and a Lothian regional meeting in August.
Edinburgh and Lothian community councils were thus not properly represented this year on the Executive Council/Board in the process to nominate candidates for ASCC national offices.
YET ANOTHER REASON TO VOTE NO FOR THE CANDIDATE FOR NATIONAL PRESIDENT
Norman Bonney, ASCC area representative, City of Edinburgh
No comments:
Post a Comment