Student elections continue to be drawn-out processes at Carleton, with the most recent upheaval being The Home Team’s disqualification from the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) elections for receiving six violations.
One violation was particularly eyebrow-raising: having an off-campus volunteer, who happens to be Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) president Fahd Alhattab.
The evidence is a Google Drive filled with campaign material for The Home Team, which was modified by Alhattab.
A president of the largest association on campus has a lot of power and influence, and although The Home Team has said they hired Alhattab as a “creative lead” for their campaign to do graphic design, it doesn’t change the influence he has on this campus.
The Home Team and Alhattab both say the RRRA election team is biased and that the violation is unfair, but it is still problematic—and frankly unethical—that the president of CUSA was helping a RRRA team with their campaign.
Although there is an overlap of constituency—CUSA members can also live on residence, and therefore be RRRA members—both associations are different from one another and conduct their matters seperately. To honour the democratic process, these associations must remain separate.
It is not about Alhattab’s status as an off-campus student, which may be a bylaw infraction, but it is about his undeniable influence. Ethics aren’t always as clear as bylaws, but they are important all the same.
