<div dir="auto"><div dir="auto">Dear Badru,</div><div dir="auto"> </div><div dir="auto">I don’t think you quite get the message that was sent across. Allow me to clarify:</div><div dir="auto"> </div><div dir="auto">It was never stated that AFRINIC is in a vacuum or anything of such. However, it is important to note and understand that AFRINIC(as a company) is bound by the local laws to operate as a company and to run its day-to-day operations are expected to comply with such regulations and law however the case is different pertaining to PDWG. Attempting to subject PDWG to local law is a very dangerous claim which we must thread with caution.</div><div dir="auto"> </div><div dir="auto">Secondly, I sincerely appreciate legal opinion and input from counsels, subject to the condition that the input and opinions provided must be accurate and not misleading and it must also be subjected to actual facts and the right interpretation of the law. I wish to clarify that there is no personal attack made to the Counsel, however I wish to point out that his ideas and unwarranted opinion is open for scrutiny of the community once he has posted it herein.</div><div dir="auto"> </div><div dir="auto">On a different note, I agree with you that personal attacks should cease to exist here, and may the “attacks” be based solely on the facts and matter at hand.</div><div dir="auto"> </div><div dir="auto">I believe the above clarifies any confusion.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Kind regards,<br>Emem William<br><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 12:46 Badru Ntege <<a href="mailto:badru.ntege@nftconsult.com">badru.ntege@nftconsult.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Indeed
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I read legal counsel’s email with concern that something is not right. But also something is going very miserably “rogue” for want of descriptive choice of words.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I do believe we have enough policies and structures to bring order. There is a reason that the organization retains the services of legal Counsel.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I urge that board, Secretariat and PDWG use the systems in place and common sense to normalize the current situation.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">All office bearers hold office at the pleasure of the community who give some extra powers to members, who then hand that power to the board which provides oversight to the secretariat.
I’m not aware of any other version of the Bottom up principle in Afrinic.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I want to remind Co chairs and other office bearers that we stand for office to serve the community at large as opposed to special interest of any constituency of the community.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Regards<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Badru <u></u>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">From: </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Arnaud AMELINA <<a href="mailto:amelnaud@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">amelnaud@gmail.com</a>><br>
<b>Date: </b>Sunday, 13 December 2020 at 13:34<br>
<b>To: </b>Ashok <<a href="mailto:ashok@afrinic.net" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">ashok@afrinic.net</a>><br>
<b>Cc: </b>"rpd >> AfriNIC Resource Policy" <<a href="mailto:rpd@afrinic.net" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">rpd@afrinic.net</a>><br>
<b>Subject: </b>Re: [rpd] Statement from Legal Counsel<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hello, PDWG members <u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">It appears in recent communications from legal counsel that co-chairs have recommended some draft policies for approval by board.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Why are the recommendations, including the reports prescribed by section 3.4.4, not published on this rpd for the sake of transparency and the practices in the matter?<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Where did the resource transfer proposal version 5.0 come from?<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">We seem to have abandoned the PDP and its key underlining principles.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Regards <u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">--<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Arnaud <u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Le mer. 9 déc. 2020 à 16:25, Ashok <<a href="mailto:ashok@afrinic.net" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">ashok@afrinic.net</a>> a écrit :<u></u><u></u></p>
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<b>Dear Community members,</b><u></u><u></u></p>
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<b>I refer to AFRINIC’s Chief Executive Officer’s emails dated 30 November 2020 and 03 December 2020 sent to the PDWG’s Co-Chairs to which I was in copy thereof. Copies of the said emails are also herewith attached.</b><u></u><u></u></p>
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<b>As AFRINIC’s Legal Counsel I wish first to draw your attention to the PDWG’s Co-Chairs’ declaration of consensus dated 07 October 2020 in respect of the policy entitled
<i>'Board's Prerogatives'</i> – AFPUB-2020-GEN-004-DRAFT02- as well as the policy entitled
<i>'Resource Transfer Policy'</i> –AFPUB-2019-V4-003-DRAFT04- whereby in the latter case, consensus was initially declared on 07 October 2020 and which was subsequently reversed by the Co-Chairs on 17 October 2020.</b><u></u><u></u></p>
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<b>I hold no mandate to interfere in the work of the PDWG and/or its independence I shall refrain from doing so.</b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<b>Nevertheless, I deem it my duty to tender my advice, for whatever it is worth and without in any way pressurising, the PDWG, an AFRINIC-related body to be bound by same.</b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<b>My advice addresses the aforementioned two policy proposals and my purpose is to ensure that the work of the PDWG thereon as well as its outcome are both legally in order. I have given anxious consideration to this matter and also bear in mind that where
the acts and doings of the PDWG are not legally in order, same may have a detrimental effect on the image and reputation of AFRINIC both as a corporate body and responsible RIR.
</b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<b>In regard to the policy entitled <i>'Board's Prerogatives'</i>, I have taken note of AFRINIC's Staff Assessment report dated 04 November 2020 -
</b><b><span style="font-family:"garamond",serif"><a href="https://afrinic.net/policy/proposals/2020-gen-004-d2#impact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">https://afrinic.net/policy/proposals/2020-gen-004-d2#impact</a></span>.
</b><u></u><u></u></p>
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<b>You may have noticed that the said report has raised both serious governance and operational issues as well as areas of uncertainty observed in the proposed policy which has, up to now, remained unaddressed.
</b><u></u><u></u></p>
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<b>Consequently, it is my humble view that the PDWG may in its wisdom consider to review its own stand in respect of these policy proposals so as to avoid any form of encroachment, potential or otherwise, onto the Board of Director’s prerogatives, the foundations
of which are grounded in articles 3.4 and 15 of the AFRINIC’s bylaws. </b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<b>However, should the PDWG maintain its stand in respect of the above, then the appropriate motion has to be made during an AGMM, pursuant to Article 7.7 of the bylaws to amend articles 3.4, 15(1), 15(2) and 15(3) of the bylaws thus allowing the powers of
the Board of Directors to be subjected to the directives and guidance of the PDWG.</b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<b>As regard the policy entitled <i>'Resource Transfer Policy'</i>, the PDWG may be aware that the said policy (i.e. version 4 thereof) is presently<s>
</s>the subject of an appeal before the Appeal Committee and the matter is yet to be determined.
</b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<b>Consequently, the PDWG is hereby informed and advised that it is a matter of sound and settled legal principle that, pending the outcome of the Appeal Committee proceedings, it (PDWG) refrains from entertaining any request emanating from the relevant co-authors
of the said policy proposals for further amending these proposals on the legal principle of
<i>pendente lite</i>. It is also my considered view that any attempt in the meantime by the latter to submit a newly purported version of their policy proposal will be inadmissible (non-receivable) in law. </b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<b>To close my submission may I urge the PDWG to give due weight to my non-binding legal advice and consequently appreciate the real risk of AFRINIC, in the event that the Appeal proceedings are ignored, having to ratify and implement two policy proposals,
on the same subject matter, which would lead to an unprecedented conflictual situation.
</b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<b>Ashok.B.Radhakissoon.</b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<b>Legal Counsel</b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<b> </b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"garamond",serif"> </span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
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