UTSU’s Chief Returning Officer has told a campus group to shut down their elections debate. The Varsity has obtained an email sent shortly after midnight on Feb. 26, in which CRO Lydia Treadwell asked the U of T NDP to cancel their event, saying it violates UTSU policy.
U of T NDP’s debate is slated for Thursday, March 5, in conflict with an event that UTSU is co-hosting called “Taskforce on Racism.” The taskforce is being conducted by the Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students. CFS is known for supporting slates in union elections and has in the past bussed in members from other schools to help campaign.
“It has come to my attention that your organization is advertising an event entitled ‘UTSU All Candidates Summit,’ wrote Treadwell. “I am writing to inform you that this event is in violation of Section 2f. of the UTSU Elections Procedure Code which outlines that the role of the CRO is to organize and establish guidelines for ‘candidate forums.’” The rule Treadwell quotes is Article 4.2.f.
“In order to ensure elections rules are upheld, I am requesting that you cancel this event at this time and cease organizing anymore campus wide ‘debates’ that are in contravention of UTSU Elections policies and procedures.”
UTSU’s official all-candidates meeting, which Treadwell is required to organize and run under her contract, takes place Tues, March 3.
