Your Carleton successfully appealed the electoral board’s decision to the constitutional board, disqualifying the Change slate and resulting in Ashley Courchene losing his seat as vice president (student services).
The appeal filed by Your Carleton overturns a decision by the electoral board that would allow Courchene to keep his seat while upholding two out of three violations against Change.
Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) president and president-elect Fahd Alhattab said the appeal process was simply restoring a seat that was rightfully earned.
“There are rules and processes in place to ensure there is a fair election at all times, for everyone participating in the election,” Alhattab said. “They have to feel comfortable knowing when they run in an election it is a fair election.”
Vice-president (student services)-elect Frena Hailekiros said she was happy to win her seat, but wants to focus on the upcoming year.
“I’m happy, but right now we need to move on it’s all about the students,” Hailekiros said. “The decision is out of my hands, I was not involved at all. It’s time for me to get back to work and start planning [for next year.]”
The difference in votes between Courchene and second-place candidate Hailikeros was 21 votes, leading Your Carleton to believe that Ahmed Gitteh could have influenced the votes enough to allow Courchene to win.
Courchene said the decision was unsurprising to him.
“I’m not surprised given that the constitutional board is in your Carleton’s pocket, they have conflicts of interest, especially with Christian [Robillard],” Courchene said.
According to Alhattab, Robillard is a member of CUSA’s staff but does not report to an executive and is not paid through the executive.
“I personally hold Fahd Alhattab responsible,” Courchene said. “A lot of students at Carleton are disappointed in this as well. It does not look good on your Carleton or or Fahd or the rest of his team, but there is not much I can do.”
At the constitutional board meeting on March 22, Handy suggested removing at least 30 votes from each candidate of the Change slate, because Gitteh was addressing to at least 30 students in the classroom.
In response, Change slate campaign manager, Adam Carrol reasserted the approved appeal made to electoral board that Gitteh didn’t impersonate a professor according to teaching assistant (TA) Alaa Hassan and Professor Bruce Wallace.
“Both the professor [Wallace] and TA [Hassan] sent in emails clarifying that it was at most, an accidental case of mistaken identity – as opposed to malicious impersonation.”
Carrol said this would make students cynical about the election process if students’ votes were to be removed from the Change slate’s tally.
He concluded passing this appeal would bring a bad narrative and image to CUSA.
“It would send a message to the student that this election is not legitimate and it would damage the integrity and reputation of the students’ association potentially for few years to come.”
