<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: "Helvetica Neue";" class="">Dear AFRINIC Members and Community,</span><br class=""><div class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">There has been much discussion about the results of the elections held during the AGMM on 10 May 2018, and associated processes.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">I will try to answer these questions:</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div>
<ul class="">
<li style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class=""><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 10px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""></span>What is the election process?</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class=""><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 10px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""></span>What happened in previous years?</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class=""><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 10px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""></span>What happened in 2018?</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class=""><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 10px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""></span>What does the election process says about the “None of the above” option?</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class=""><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 10px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""></span>How should the result be interpreted when “None of the above” receives the most votes?</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class=""><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 10px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""></span>Does AFRINIC have an election appeal process?</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class=""><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 10px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""></span>Should the result stand as previously announced?</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class=""><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 10px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""></span>What are the future actions?</li>
</ul><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">## What is the Election Process?</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">The Election Process (sometimes called the election guidelines) is approved by the Board in terms of the Bylaws article 13.2:</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">13.2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The election of the Directors of the company shall be carried out in line with the Election process approved by the Board.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">The current Election Process was revised and approved by the Board in 2014 (Resolutions 201404.196 and 201411.218)<b class="">, </b>and is published at <<a href="https://afrinic.n" class=""><span style="color: rgb(228, 175, 10);" class="">https://afrinic.net/en/community/elections/bod-election/process</span></a>>. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">Under section 9.2, the following bullet points appear (the bullet numbers are not in the original):</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">[1] •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </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.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">[2] •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The ballot paper should provide voters with the option to not vote for any candidate (a.k.a. "None of the Above").</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">[3] •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </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.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">[4] •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </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.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">[5] •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </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.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">[6] •<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </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 to apply provisions of the Bylaws to temporarily fill the vacant seat.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">## What happened in previous years?</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">The option to vote for “None of the above” has appeared on AFRINIC Board election ballots every year since 2013. In 2017, the final computed results contained scores for the “None of the above” option. Since those scores did not make “none of the above” the winner, they were not mentioned in the announcement of results published at <<a href="https://afrinic.net/en/news/2139-results-of-afrinic-agmm-election" class=""><span style="color: rgb(228, 175, 10);" class="">https://afrinic.net/en/news/2139-results-of-afrinic-agmm-election</span></a>> </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">## What happened in 2018?</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">Three AFRINIC Board seats were up for election at the AGMM on 10 May 2018. For all three seats, “None of the above” received the most votes, and as a consequence, the seats have remained vacant for the time being. This was the first time that ”None of the above” received the most votes for any Board seat. The result was announced during the AGMM and later published at < <span style="text-decoration: underline" class=""><a href="https://afrinic.net/en/news/2391-results-of-afrinic-agmm-elections" class="">https://afrinic.net/en/news/2391-results-of-afrinic-agmm-elections</a></span> > </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">## What does the election process say about the “None of the above” option?</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">Bullet point 2 in the election process specifies that “None of the above” should appear as a choice for all seats, not only for seats where there is only one candidate.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">Bullet point 4 in the election process specifies that the candidate with the highest number of votes will be the winner. However, it is silent about what happens if the highest number of votes goes to “None of the above” instead of a candidate.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">Bullet point 6 in the election process specifies what happens when “None of the above” gets the highest number of votes in an election with only one candidate, but is silent about seats with multiple candidates.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">In summary, the election process is clear about what happens in an election with one candidate when “None of the above” wins, but is silent about what happens in an election with more than one candidate when “None of the above” wins.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">## How should the result be interpreted when “None of the above” receives the most votes?</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">It is a widely-accepted principle that, if a written process is silent on some point, then the intent should be considered.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">The intended meaning of the “None of the above” option is clear in the case of an election with only one candidate: bullet point 6 states that, if “None of the above” gets the most votes, then the seat remains vacant.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">In an election with multiple candidates, we have already seen that bullet point 2 requires a “None of the above” option, but it is silent about what happens if that option receives the most votes. Some people have argued that the seat should remain vacant (pointing to the intent behind bullet point 6), and some have argued that the winner should be the candidate other than “None of the above” who received the most votes (pointing to the text of bullet point 4).</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">The fact that bullet point 2 explicitly requires a “None of the above” option for all seats, suggests that the intention was for “None of the above” to have a meaning different from an abstention. After all, if voting for “None of the above” was intended to have the same meaning as an abstention, then there would be no need for a “None of the above” option on the ballot, and voters could simply abstain from voting for that seat. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">## Does AFRINIC have an election appeal process?</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">There isn’t any documented process for appealing the result of an AFRINIC Board election. The committee handling the election (Nomination committee and Election committee) should make sure that the election guideline is explain clearly to members before the process start in order to avoid misinterpretation</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">## Should the result stand as previously announced?</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">The Board recognises the objections that were raised a few days after the election, on Wednesday 16 May 2018, but notes that no objections were raised on the day of the election, Thursday 10 May 2018. The Board has decided that the results stand as they were announced immediately after the votes were counted. That means that the affected seats remain vacant for the time being.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">## What are the future actions?</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">The Board recognises that the process does not make it clear what happens when “None of the above” receives the most votes in an election with multiple candidates. The Board would like to encourage the committee handling the election in future to ensure that members understand the election guidelines before voting starts. Furthermore, the Board intends to review the election process for future elections which will include a public consultation. The Board will also consider an appeal process during the review of the guideline</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">The Board intends to fill the vacant seats in terms of the Bylaws article 13.14. To this end, the Board has called for expressions of interest; see <<a href="https://www.afrinic.net/en/news/2395-" class=""><span style="color: rgb(228, 175, 10);" class="">https://www.afrinic.net/en/news/2395-filling-of-the-casual-vacancies</span></a>>. The seats to be filled are the three seats that were included in the election on 10 May 2018, and a fourth seat that was not included in that election.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">Best Regards,</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">Christian D. Bope, Ph.D</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(69, 69, 69);" class="">Chairman, AFRINIC Board</div></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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