Some thoughts on the Exec. elections

Nominations for the forthcoming VUCSA Executive elections close at the association's office at noon this Saturday, June 16. The elections will be held about a week later. Next week a special edition of Salient will be published containing "blurbs" of those who have accepted nomination. We ask readers now to take everything that will be said in that issue with about a ton of salt.

The rules and regulations governing the conduct of elections are such that it is impossible to make the "election blurb issue" any better than the list of nebulous achievement and fatuous promises which the candidates include in their election "platforms."

To cast doubt on the reliability of the "blurb issue" is not to say it is entirely useless. It contains useful and interesting details of candidates' previous activities in student affairs; it tells you what committees they've been on, for instance.

It is not at all difficult for a student in this college to get on to half a dozen committees, even in his first year, if he goes about it in the right way. And there need be absolutely no work involved. But of course, it looks good to the unwary voter reading the "blurbs."

We would strongly recommend those who are not acquainted with the Exec. election system to be very careful about attaching too much importance to the "blurbs." But, since there is almost a total absence of any form of electioneering, there is unfortunately no other guide to the voter except personal knowledge of the suitability of the various candidates.

Finally, we would like to see a rather more responsible attitude to the elections on the part of those nominated than has been evident in the past. Last year's election was turned into a farce by some candidate who treated the affair as a joke. And there were others who, when standing, had absolutely no idea what they would be expected to do if elected. This is irresponsibility.

There is no room for such attitudes in an election for people to administer the finance and affairs of a union of more than 2000 members.