<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_extra"><div><div>Dear Legal Counsel,<br></div><div><br></div><div>Thanks for your input. Much appreciated. </div><div><br></div><div>Your statements reinforce the interpretation of section 9.2 of the guidelines with the origin of the "none of the above" option in the election process and how votes for this option are considered in the case of one candidate running for election for a seat. [Last bullet point] <br></div><div><br></div><div>Case in which the election becomes a "yes" or "no" vote for the only candidate. This point is clear and accepted and the objection is not for the results for seat 5 and 6.</div><div><br></div><div>What has not been clarified is how the same principle came to be applied for the elections for seat 2 which had two candidates running for the seat, one of whom got higher votes than the other, with the total number of members casting votes in excess of those opting out.</div><div><br></div><div>You also referred to art 10.2 of the constitution but did not elaborate on the precedence that occurred that has become an integral part of our guidelines. As precedence automatically becomes part of the election guidelines, it is important that we address issues which come up around the election with care and unambiguously. </div><div><br></div><div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:small;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Can you be so kind to clarify? </div><br></div><div>Best wishes</div><div>Omo</div><div><br></div><div>PS: Grateful to listers to please keep this thread confined to the subject.</div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="m_-8469710531738800970gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><a href="http:///" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On 17 May 2018 at 17:17, Ashok <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ashok@afrinic.net" target="_blank">ashok@afrinic.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
Dear Members and Community,<br>
Mt views have been sought on the matter under reference.<br>
Please find same hereunder.<br>
<br>
<div class="m_-8469710531738800970gmail-m_6469985645637664215moz-cite-prefix">On 17/05/2018 14:04, B
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>The
Election
Process and last AGMM.</u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">The appointment of
Directors is
carried out during an AGMM of the Company –Art 13.1 of the
constitution.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">The election of
the Directors is
carried out in terms of Art 13.2 of the constitution which
refers expressly to the
election process approved by the Board.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">Moreover<span> </span>Art 10.2 of the
Constitution refers to
precedent applied during an AFRINIC election and which de facto
become part of
the election guidelines. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">The election
process<span> </span>as it stands
today is the one which was
applied during<span> </span>the
elections held during
the last AGMM without any opposition.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">This is what it
provides:</p><span class="m_-8469710531738800970gmail-">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span>9.2 Paper Ballot on
Election Day</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span>The voting conducted during the Annual General Members'
Meeting is
carried out via paper ballots containing a list of candidate
names and a ballot
number. Prior to the vote, all members present or participants
holding a proxy
will be requested to register and validate their membership
status.</span></p>
</span><ul type="disc">
<ul type="circle">
<ul type="square"><span class="m_-8469710531738800970gmail-">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:normal"><span>Voters should
only vote for one candidate per category/region. Each
mark on a ballot paper represents one vote. A ballot
with more than one mark per category/region will be
considered spoilt, and not be counted.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:normal"><span>The ballot paper
should provide voters with the option to not vote for
any candidate (a.k.a. "None of the Above").</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:normal"><span>This will be a
secret ballot election. An inclusion of any personal
data on the ballot paper will invalidate the vote and
will be counted as spoilt.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:normal"><span>Elections will
be closed as soon as the last member or proxy present in
the meeting room casts his/her vote. Candidates with the
highest number of votes in each category will be
declared winners.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:normal"><span>In the event of
a tie for an open position, voting for that position
will be repeated (Only by paper ballot) the same day
until there is a winner.</span></li>
</span><span class="m_-8469710531738800970gmail-"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;line-height:normal"><span>All open
positions shall be subject to an election process even
if there is only one candidate. In that event, if the
option [none of the above] got more votes than the only
candidate, then the seat shall be considered vacant and
the Board will be requested</span><span>
</span><span>to apply
provisions of the Bylaws to temporarily fill the vacant
seat</span></li>
</span></ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">The last amendment of the election
guidelines introduced
the voting option “ None of the Above”. –(Vide second bullet
point above.)Those
voters who have cast their votes for “ None of the Above” have
done so in
compliance with the prevailing<span>
</span>constitution <span> </span>and
these are thus
valid votes. Every voter was aware of the new option.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">The election
guidelines are clear
as to what happens when the “ None of the Above” option has a
majority.- (Vide
last bullet point above.)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">The election
guidelines must be
read as a whole and all the provisions read together.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">Legal Counsel
–AFRINIC</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">17.05.2018</p>
oubakar Barry wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"><div><div class="m_-8469710531738800970gmail-h5">
<div dir="ltr"> <span></span>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="2">Hello Board and Legal
Counsel,</font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span lang="en-GB">Good
that Omo spotted this. </span></font></font>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span lang="en-GB">It’s
a matter of applying the board election process adopted
by the board
according to section 13.2 of the bylaws. </span></font></font>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span lang="en-GB"><a href="https://afrinic.net/en/community/elections/bod-election/process" target="_blank">https://afrinic.net/en/communi<wbr>ty/elections/bod-election/<wbr>process</a>
describes the process and section 9 spells out how to
interpret the
results in the case there are more than one candidate
and in the case
there is only one candidate. These two cases are
addressed separately
and differently.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span lang="en-GB">It’s
important to hear from the Board and the Legal Counsel,
as the
elections can be challenged.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span lang="en-GB">Please
advise.</span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span lang="en-GB">Regards.<br>
</span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0.08in"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span lang="en-GB">Boubakar</span></font></font></p>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, May 16, 2018 at 5:24 PM, Omo
Oaiya <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:Omo.Oaiya@wacren.net" target="_blank">Omo.Oaiya@wacren.net</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div>Greetings All,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I am looking at the BoD election process and it
seems to me that the recent e-mail from the Board
Chair seeking nominations for vacant seats should not
be extended to Western Africa. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The particular clause I am referring to is in 9.2
- <a href="https://afrinic.net/en/community/elections/bod-election/process" target="_blank">https://afrinic.net/en/commu<wbr>nity/elections/bod-election/pr<wbr>ocess</a></div>
<div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<ul style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,FreeSans,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(238,238,238)">
<li><br class="m_-8469710531738800970gmail-m_6469985645637664215m_-4659973576612295384Apple-interchange-newline">
Elections will be closed as soon as the last
member or proxy present in the meeting room
casts his/her vote. Candidates with the highest
number of votes in each category will be
declared winners</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div>
<div>I see from the list for West Africa that the
candidate with the highest number of votes should
have been declared winner and this is Dr Ousmane
Tessa. (btw, Dr Adewale Adedokun needs his name
spelt correctly)</div>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<p style="margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,FreeSans,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(238,238,238)"><br>
<b>Western Africa - Seat 2</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,FreeSans,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(238,238,238)">Dr
Adelawe Abedekon - 43</p>
<p style="margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,FreeSans,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(238,238,238)">Dr
Ousmane Moussa Tessa - 56</p>
<p style="margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,FreeSans,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(238,238,238)">None
of the above - 78</p>
<p style="margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,FreeSans,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(238,238,238)"><i>Result:
The seat is vacant</i></p>
<div><br>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The results from the other regions are valid and
supported by the following clause as they had one
candidate. </div>
<div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<ul style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,FreeSans,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(238,238,238)">
<ul>
<li>All open positions shall be subject to an
election process even if there is only one
candidate. In that event, if the option [none
of the above] got more votes than the only
candidate, then the seat shall be considered
vacant and the Board will be requested to
apply provisions of the Bylaws to temporarily
fill the vacant seat. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<br>
</div>
<div>Can AfriNIC and the nomcom please clarify? We
should not deprive Dr Tessa of a rightful win ….
especially in the circumstances we find ourselves.</div>
<span class="m_-8469710531738800970gmail-m_6469985645637664215HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Omo</div>
</font></span></div>
<br>
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</blockquote>
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</blockquote></div><br></div></div>