IRSA elections, CEEFIE February news

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Lester
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Joined: 14 Oct 2004, 22:29
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IRSA elections, CEEFIE February news

Post by Lester » 13 Feb 2014, 11:58

We have sent out our second newsletter to the DNM electors. We hope it might be interesting to IOM sailors internationally.

CEEFIE Newsletter Mid-February 2014
Committee for the Election of an Effective IRSA (International Radio Sailing Association) Executive.
A newsletter from Graham Bantock and Lester Gilbert regarding the IRSA EC (Executive Committee) elections.
May be distributed, circulated, or forwarded freely.

Dear IRSA DNM (Delegated National Member)

Our second e-mail "newsletter" to you (parts will also be posted on-line). The “executive summary”:

• Two new CEEFIE (Committee for the Election of an Effective IRSA Executive) candidates
• CEEFIE proposals for transparency include publication of committee agendas (not just decisions) and of officer voting records
• CEEFIE proposals for reinvigorating the M (Marblehead), 10R (Ten Rater), and A ("A" Class) include setting up new class committees
• Some “by the way” election news

Candidates for “Publicity” and for “Regional Officer Europe”

Matteo Longhi (ITA) has been nominated by ITA (Italy) as Regional Officer Europe, and Pedro Egea (ESP) has been nominated by ESP (Spain) as Publicity Officer. We welcome both candidates to CEEFIE.

Transparency

A key CEEFIE manifesto issue for a future IRSA is Transparency, where we will seek to make IRSA and the activities of the EC and the IRSA Committees more public and transparent.

One of the challenges of IRSA as an organisation is that its DNM representatives are appointed to their positions through a wide variety of mechanisms at the national level in each of the approximately 30 member countries, and thereafter use an even wider variety of reporting and communicating mechanisms back to their DNM organisation. We intend to learn from the experience and methods of ISAF (International Sailing Federation), who have a similar membership structure and whose MNAs (Member National Authority) are similarly highly varied in how they manage their representation in ISAF. A feature of ISAF is the full and unrestricted access it provides not only to historical committee decisions, but also to the forthcoming resolutions which will be the subject of future committee debate and decision. We think that a way forward for IRSA, the EC, and the EC committees, is to be more public about the various forthcoming proposals and discussions.

A second challenge for the IRSA EC is balancing the natural need for in-committee confidential discussion and debate with the need for ensuring that not only is “justice done but justice is seen to be done”. We note that a number of organisations are now publishing the voting records of their officers, and we think that a way forward to increase the transparency of the EC and the various EC committees is to publish how EC and committee officers vote on the proposals and resolutions which are put before them.

Meeting these challenges requires a strong input from a new committee which CEEFIE will set up for “Information and Communications”. It is expected that the Publicity Officer will become the Chairman of this new Infocomms committee, and it is for this reason that we are very pleased to have Pedro Egea as our candidate for this task. Pedro has for some years now looked after the information and communication needs of IOMICA (IOM International Class Association) and other national NCAs (National Class Association) and DNMs.

Class administration

A second key CEEFIE manifesto issue for a future IRSA is Class administration, where we will seek a committee for each class which will operate as an international class association. We think the lack of effective promotion of the IRSA Classes has been a problem for far too long, and we think that a way forward is to set up a separate class association committee for each class. It is well-known that the Marblehead, “A” Class, and Ten Rater have had irregular World Championships and are struggling to reach the popularity they once enjoyed. We expect that class committees, which will operate like international class owners’ associations with all the freedoms and responsibilities that implies, will reinvigorate their classes.

By the way…

In our previous newsletter, we commented on the unconstitutional attempt by the IRSA EC to refuse the nomination by the MYA (Model Yachting Association, the DNM for GBR) of Graham as Technical Committee Chairman. Graham’s candidature has now been published on the IRSA GA (General Assembly) 2014 Web site, but the IRSA EC continues to interfere with a free and fair election process. It has issued a “statement” alongside the notice of Graham’s candidature, http://www.radiosailing.org/main/admini ... 4-main.htm#

It is now quite clear that the IRSA EC is wrongfully interfering with the election process. It has refused to provide fair access to the GA 2014 discussions for external candidates; yet internal candidates enjoy such access, and it is self-evident to us that all candidates ought to have access to the elections section of the DNM forum up until the end of voting. It has refused to provide requested indication to the DNM electors about CEEFIE candidate affiliation. It has refused to communicate with candidates. And now with their “statement”, we see a partisan electoral action designed to discredit a candidate and harm Graham’s reputation which has nothing to do with the legitimate business of the IRSA EC.

Contrary to the impression given by the IRSA EC “statement”, the regulations in sections 6.2 and 6.3 deal with the interpretation of Class Rules only, and not with the general business of the Technical Committee. The claim that Graham would “regularly find himself having to withdraw from the deliberations of the Technical Committee” because of these regulations is sadly both misleading and disingenuous. And contrary to the claim by the IRSA EC “statement”, regulations 6.2 and 6.3 deal with “personal involvement”, and NOT with a conflict of commercial interest.

In a fair and transparent election, the internal candidates should withdraw from having any control of or input to the election process. We are in full agreement with the IRSA EC “statement” that “it should be absolutely clear and transparent that there would be no possibility of any conflict of interest at any time”. We do wonder, though, if candidates Fairbank, Rowan, Hobbs, Granich, and Atkinson have respected their own statement of ethical and moral superiority and have accordingly withdrawn from the IRSA EC whenever it discussed the GA 2014 elections.

CEEFIE manifesto

In addition to transparency and class administration:

Rules administration: We seek to introduce procedures to yield the kinds of rules that radio sailors want, including the effective management of the four-year cycle of Appendix E changes.

IRSA EC structure: We seek to move from a regional representation system to a class based representation system, as noted above. We seek to introduce long-needed committees for 'Events' and for 'Information and Communications'.
Lester Gilbert
http://www.onemetre.net/

Lester
Posts: 628
Joined: 14 Oct 2004, 22:29
Location: GBR 105
Contact:

Re: IRSA elections, CEEFIE February news

Post by Lester » 26 Feb 2014, 09:32

In the recent "IRSA Communique to Members", the IRSA EC notes, "We also find the manner in which the incumbent members of the IRSA Executive Committee are referred in [the CEEFIE newsletter] as rather derogatory and distasteful. There is no need for this type of personal attack on the incumbent IRSA officers in the run up to the General Assembly.”

The reference in the CEEFIE newsletter reads, "We do wonder, though, if candidates Fairbank, Rowan, Hobbs, Granich, and Atkinson have respected their own statement of ethical and moral superiority and have accordingly withdrawn from the IRSA EC whenever it discussed the GA 2014 elections."

We acknowledge this criticism. We apologise, and accept that we should have instead written, "We do wonder, though, if candidates Messrs Fairbank, Rowan, Hobbs, Granich, and Atkinson have respected their own statement of ethical and moral behaviour and have accordingly withdrawn from the IRSA EC whenever it discussed the GA 2014 elections."
Lester Gilbert
http://www.onemetre.net/

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