MONTREAL, Feb. 18 /CNW Telbec/ - Fed up with scandals and abuses of power
by the Concordia Student Union (CSU), a group of concerned students filed a
motion with Quebec Superior Court seeking a court order to recall the current
CSU Executive from their positions and immediately order new elections.
This action is viewed as a last resort after the CSU has blocked all
democratic forms of criticism of its actions.
The CSU Executive have refused to recognize a legally binding recall
petition, signed by over 3,600 students and filed in December, to hold new
elections. The petition was in perfect accordance with CSU regulations. The
CSU reacted by attempting to retroactively change their own regulations to
invalidate the petition and then claiming that many of the petition's
signatures were invalid. The CSU Executive has now been forced to acknowledge
that the petition was "signed by over 3600 students" in official court
documents.
The only defence offered by the union for disenfranchising 3,600 of their
own constituents has been that the timing is inauspicious -- despite their own
attempts to stall the process and hope it would go away.
This latest scandal comes on the heels of a sworn affidavit alleging that
the current Executive's campaign manager demanded an illicit $25,000 campaign
contribution from a supplier in exchange for a contract renewal.
The CSU Executive is now also attempting to silence their critics by
filing a SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) against
Patrice Blais, one of the key organizers of the recall petition, claiming
$125,000 in damages for defamation. His so-called crime was to have been a
vocal critic of an elected government and to have made use of the only
available remedy provided for in the organization's constitution: a recall
petition.
Louise Birdsell-Bauer, a CSU Councillor, said: "This is an appalling
attempt to eradicate the voices of 3,600 students. This Executive will violate
any by-laws that stand in the way of their personal interests."
Ethan Cox, a student involved in the recall effort said: "We (students)
are sick and tired of the abuse of power. All we want is a student union which
respects the rule of law, I don't understand why we have to go to court and
waste student money to get that."
Patrice Blais said "In the CSU Executive's world, criticizing an elected
government constitutes defamation. They are suing me to silence me."
Full documentation, including a complete scanned copy of the petition, is
available upon request.
For further information: Ethan Cox, (514) 662-0070 for comment or to
request copies of documentation
