The appointment of the ASUCR elections director has been delayed until fall quarter after the special elections meeting held on June 2 was adjourned after nine minutes, due to an argument between former candidate Neftali Galarza and members of the senate regarding the appointment of the vice president of external affairs.
This is the second postponement of the elections director appointment — which was originally scheduled on May 26. Due to a lack of applicants, however, the senate voted to extend the original deadline to allow more appointees into office.
Tye Rush, the only candidate to attend both meetings regarding the appointment, was unavailable for immediate comment. According to the amendments made to the ASUCR constitution, the elections director must be presented by the judicial branch, then appointed by a senate vote.
During the meeting, Senator Casey Thielhart motioned to remove Galarza and Vice President of External Affairs Mohammed Hussein due to a pending judicial case regarding the appointment of that position. Galarza, however, refused to leave the stand repeatedly shouting, “I am the vice president of external affairs.”
Galarza argued that since he was paid for the full nine months of the academic year — as required by the vice president of external affairs bylaws — he met the requirement for the position, which Hussein, who was removed as parliamentarian in May, did not. “Whatever you’re trying to do, suspend bylaws, whatever it is, I’m going to continue being the vice president of external affairs by following procedure,” Galarza stated.
The situation escalated when Senator Dalshawn Boson motioned to remove just Galarza from the horseshoe and allow Hussein to remain. With a vote of 9-1-2 the motion to remove Galarza passed. However, Galarza chose to remain on the galley.
“That’s not even following procedure to begin with because I am the current vice president of external affairs,” Galarza stated immediately after the vote. ”Who is the current vice president of external affairs?”
“Momo Hussein is the vice president of external affairs,” Executive Vice President Armando Saldana answered during the meeting, clarifying that the judicial branch’s decision regarding constitutionality of the positions requirement bylaws was needed to finalize the appointment.
“No one meets the nine-month requirement because the school year is eight months long. The only reason you got one more paycheck than me because all your friends decided to fire me,” Hussein argued.
After the meeting, the judicial branch approved Hussein’s appointment stating that the bylaw, created by the former Vice President of External Affairs Abraham Galvan, “creates an undue burden on those running for election and is contrary to the requirements established by the Constitution.”
