The Rideau River Residence Association’s (RRRA) electoral officer Saiyara Elahi issued warnings for the first three electoral violations this year on March 11.
Elahi, who posted the violations through the RRRA elections Instagram, issued Keana Cavero and Sanjeevan Kirubaharan warnings for soliciting nominations after the end of RRRA’s nomination period. Elahi issued first-year business student Parshmeet Singh Juneja a warning for advertising his candidacy for president, or “soliciting nominations,” on Instagram after the end of the nomination period. The nomination period ended on March 9 and campaigning began on March 15.
“It’s unfortunate that I had to issue strikes so early on,” Elahi said. “But it also sets a good tone for the election. We want to play by the book. We want to do things fair and have a good election.”
Section 10.3 of RRRA’s electoral code states “no campaigning or campaign material may appear in public or private areas including by social media before the campaign period.”
Upon first violation of RRRA’s electoral code candidates receive a “verbal warning,” according to section 12.1. That section also states three or more violations of the electoral code gives the elections office grounds to suspend or end a candidate’s campaign.
Elahi said she issued each candidate one warning via email. Kirubaharan and Juneja both removed campaign material from their Instagram accounts immediately.
Kirubaharan, a second-year business student running for vice president (programming) with the One Residence slate, said he understood the decision.
“It was unfortunate, but I think it’s very fair,” Kirubaharan said. “I’m taking it as a learning experience and moving forward, it definitely won’t happen again.”
Juneja, a first-year commerce student running as an independent candidate for president, told the Charlatan in an email he would also learn from the error.
“Moving forward, I would like to be more careful about what I am doing,” Juneja wrote.
Meanwhile, second-year law student on the Team Restore slate Cavero told the Charlatan in an email their slate was filing an appeal.
“My team and I are doing our best to make sure no further offences will occur,” Cavero wrote.
RRRA’s all-candidates debate is scheduled to be held virtually on March 17. Voting is scheduled to be held online from March 21 and 22.
Featured photo from file.
