Monday, June 21, 2004
Nominations for the Presidency by University Staff
Although our universities have been subjected to enormous stresses during the past decades, they still have an appreciable number of decent, uncorrupted professionals who have maintained good personal and ethical standards.
A number of democracies have, in their early days, given special voting rights to some segments of society, such as gentlemen or land-owners… but, to my knowledge, giving special election privileges to university teachers has not been tried. Under the present special circumstances of Iraq, this may well be worth trying to seek nominations of the post of Interim Presidency.
1. Every college in every university in Iraq invites present and past members of staff to a meeting to select a single representative for its members. (The University of Technology of Baghdad can be considered equivalent to two colleges; the Establishment of Technical Institutes equivalent to five.) Names of potential candidates for the presidency can also be put forward at this meeting.
2. Representatives from colleges of a single university meet to nominate one representative to attend a preparatory meeting. All private colleges nominate one representative.
3. These people meet to arrange for the national meeting: time, venue, procedures, required committees, etc. A comprehensive list of nominees can be drawn.
4. Staffs of every college meet again to discuss the extended nomination list so that representatives will have an idea about the preferences of their colleagues.
5. The general meeting for college representatives can then be held following the same procedure as for the professional institutions to reach a consensus regarding presidential nominations. Short-listing, meeting the short-listed candidates and then reaching an agreement on one candidate by elimination through voting.
A number of democracies have, in their early days, given special voting rights to some segments of society, such as gentlemen or land-owners… but, to my knowledge, giving special election privileges to university teachers has not been tried. Under the present special circumstances of Iraq, this may well be worth trying to seek nominations of the post of Interim Presidency.
1. Every college in every university in Iraq invites present and past members of staff to a meeting to select a single representative for its members. (The University of Technology of Baghdad can be considered equivalent to two colleges; the Establishment of Technical Institutes equivalent to five.) Names of potential candidates for the presidency can also be put forward at this meeting.
2. Representatives from colleges of a single university meet to nominate one representative to attend a preparatory meeting. All private colleges nominate one representative.
3. These people meet to arrange for the national meeting: time, venue, procedures, required committees, etc. A comprehensive list of nominees can be drawn.
4. Staffs of every college meet again to discuss the extended nomination list so that representatives will have an idea about the preferences of their colleagues.
5. The general meeting for college representatives can then be held following the same procedure as for the professional institutions to reach a consensus regarding presidential nominations. Short-listing, meeting the short-listed candidates and then reaching an agreement on one candidate by elimination through voting.
# posted by Abu Khaleel @ 2:06 PM 
