By Gillian Fitzsimons
DCU Students’ Union passed a mandate for future SU elections to hold a hustings at Class Rep Council (CRC), meaning candidates for sabbatical positions must now take part in a debate in front of class representatives.
The proposal was made by class rep Steven Conlon, who believes that all prospective candidates must be thoroughly questioned on their manifestos and ideas, that students should be afforded every opportunity to question prospective candidates and that CRC can provide an additional suitable forum for this.
Conlon’s proposal suggests that this hustings would be separate from the normal hustings that takes place every year. He states, however, that it is up to the returning officer as to whether or not this will become the main hustings or an additional one.
The CRC chairperson along with the returning officer will now organise an annual meeting before SU elections. Questions in the hustings would be set by CRC and must be in accordance to rules set by the returning officer. The format of the debate will be agreed in advance and chaired by the returning officer, with candidates given 72 hours notice for preparation.
Leave a Reply