[rpd] Policy Development Working Group co-Chairs selection

[Owen DeLong]

> On Apr 10, 2021, at 10:20 , chair at afrinic.net wrote:

> 

> Dear Policy Development Working Group,

> 

> The Board of Directors would like to congratulate the Policy Development Working Group (PDWG) on taking a consensus-based approach for the selection of PDWG co-Chairs.

> 

> The Board considered the provisions of the Consolidated Policy Manual with respect to the selection of PDWG co-Chairs and the staggered terms for the PDWG co-Chairs.  The Board would like to confirm its approval, as an exceptional measure, to have Mr Vincent Ngundi and Mr Darwin da Costa complete the term of the last Co-Chairs and further serve a duration required to make a 2 year and 1 year term respectively.


Excuse me, but where in the CPM or the bylaws did the board get the authority to approve or deny this at all? Why is the board putting its thumb on the scales of something which, IMHO, is still under active discussion in the working group. While I agree that there appears to be an evolving community consensus around this choice, the process does not seem complete at this time and even if it were, I see no basis for the board to intervene. Instead, once community has come to consensus, the policy liaison group from staff, if anyone outside of the PDWG, should recognize this determination of consensus and put it to something like a last call from the working group itself.

Once again, the board as an exceptional measure throws the rules out the window and makes it up as they go along.

We as a community must stop tolerating such actions.

Owen