By Gabriela Silva Ponte
The Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) has announced the candidates running in the 2023 fall byelection.
Current TMSU president Marina Gerges is not running for re-election, the students’ union’s website shows. Gerges first took on the role in the 2022-23 academic year, as previously reported by The Eyeopener.
According to an email sent to The Eye by the TMSU, the Faculty of Community Services, The Creative School and the Ted Rogers School of Management candidate slots remain vacant.
Several director candidates were acclaimed, meaning they ran unopposed and were automatically elected, according to section 9.2.3 of the Elections Procedures Code.
The vice president student life candidate, who is running unopposed, will be put to a yes or no vote, according to section 9.2.2 of the Elections Procedures Code.
The byelection nomination period took place from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, according to an email sent to students by the TMSU. The campaign period is now underway until Nov. 22. According to the email, voting days will occur on Nov. 20, 21 and 22 by 6 p.m.
The Eye will be hosting a candidate forum Thursday, Nov. 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Attendees can join via Zoom using this registration link. Questions for candidates can be submitted via this Google Form by the end of the day on Nov. 15.
This byelection comes after the April election was deemed “invalid,” largely due to Elections Procedures Code violations and a misconduct investigation, as previously reported by The Eye.
A summer interim Board of Directors was announced at the end of April and served from May 1 to Nov. 3. Interviews for the roles were conducted between April 20 and 28, as previously reported by The Eye.
According to section 4.17 of the TMSU’s bylaws, a byelection must be held in September if a vacancy takes place during May, June or July.
“Until the vacancy is filled, the Executive Committee may designate an interim Director to fill the vacant office subject to board approval,” the bylaw reads.
Here are your candidates for the TMSU’s 2023 fall byelection:
Presidential candidates (one position)
Trevohn Baker
Success Daka
Nikole Dan
Jordan Haworth
Nathan Sugunalan
Vice president equity candidates (one position)
Patricia Doan
Hafsa Iqbal
Vice president education candidates (one position)
Abeeha Ahmad
Hetu Patel
Vice president operations candidates (one position)
Muhammed Awais
Mahira Shoaib
Aleksander Strazisar
Vice president student life candidate (one position)
Nadir Janjua
Faculty of Arts director (two positions)
Andrew Ciddio (Acclaimed)
Jason Ramsay (Acclaimed)
Faculty of Engineering & Architecture director (two positions)
Hasan Tahir (Acclaimed)
Ariana Zuniga (Acclaimed)
Lincoln Alexander School of Law director (two positions)
Fatima Sheikh (Acclaimed)
Victor Ufot (Acclaimed)
Faculty of Science director (two positions)
Andrea Johnson (Acclaimed)
Aneesh Katyara (Acclaimed)
International director (one position)
Mohammad Khan (Acclaimed)
Leave a Reply