Student vote today

Press, 16 July 1980, Page 6

Student vote today

The president of the University of Canterbury Students’ Association, Mr A. JStuart, will face a vote > f noconfidence at a special meeting on campus today. A petition calling for the vote was presented to the executive by a group of 75 students. Under the association’s constitution, the 75 signatures make a meeting obligatory, Mr Stuart said yesterday that he was concerned that not enough students wou’.o hear about the meeting. “Canta,” the student magazine, had been lost in transit from Gore where it is printed, and many might not now hear about the occasion. At a small meeting, he said, it would be easy to mobilise support against him. According to Mr Stuart, a group of students was out

to topple him because of •what he represented. “My stand is not political enough. Yet I stood for election >ast year on - the slogan ‘Student interests rather than student politics.’ ” The editor of “Carita” (Mr P. McCombie) said that the mislaying of his newspaper was accidental. To make sure that as many students as possible knew about the meeting, he had subsequently reprinted parts of his editorial and issued them in pamphlet form. His pamphlet, he said, urged as many as possible to participate in the voting. He had since learned that the missing paper had been found and would probably be delivered this morning. “Canta” has consistently taken stances in opposition to Mr Stuart during the year. Mr McCombie said

that the differences were mainly to do with competency. The deed of management for the Student. Upion buildings had to be renegotiated this year, and Mr Stuart and his executive had “not done the work they should have.” Students differ about the ratio of votes required to oust a sitting president. Mr Stuart said he believed that a two thirds majority would unseat him. Mr McCombie said a 50 per cent vote was all. that was necessary.

The special meeting will take place in the Student Union building at 1 p.m. today. Under the constitution, Mr Stuart will have to resign should the vote go against him.