SPECIAL elections to fill vacant posts in the Central Student Council (CSC) Executive Board will push through with only a few months remaining in the academic year, the UST Central Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on last Jan. 26.
In a memorandum posted on Facebook, the Comelec said special elections would be held on Feb. 3 to fill four out of six positions in the CSC that were vacated after the resignations of Steven Grecia, Gabriela Sepulchre, Davesion Nieto and Richard Javier as president, vice president, treasurer and auditor, respectively.
BREAKING: UST Central Comelec announces special elections for vacant CSC posts to push through on Feb. 3, 2018. pic.twitter.com/gEHqUcNEUl
— The Varsitarian (@varsitarianust) January 27, 2018
Rules and regulations agreed upon by the CSC and Comelec will be released within the week, the memorandum stated.
Comelec Chairman Arvin Bersonda said the constitution must be followed despite the special elections being “counterproductive.”
“Yes, we’ll still have the special elections. I personally agree that it is already counterproductive but we really have to comply with the constitution,” Bersonda told the Varsitarian in a text message.
Article 9, Section 7 of the CSC Constitution states that “no special elections shall be held within two months immediately preceding the day of regular election.”
CSC Secretary Therese Gorospe and Public Relations Officer Francis Santos said they had prepared policies for the special elections, and was awaiting for the Comelec’s go-signal.
“Ready na kami actually. May letter na kami, for release na lang,” Gorospe said.
The special elections was postponed last year due to schedule conflicts and suspensions of classes near the end of the semester, Bersonda said.
Lakas Tomasino Coalition bets Grecia, Sepulchre, Nieto and Javier resigned less than a month after being proclaimed winners next to “abstain” on orders of the Central Judiciary Board.