Harvard Foundation Nullifies Elections

Members of the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations nullified the results of their election last Wednesday when they discovered that a proper voting quorum had not been present.

Of the 33 groups represented in the SAC, an insufficient number were present to hold an election, according to Nana E. Coleman '98, the student activities coordinator of the Foundation.

"Students are revisiting the elections because some students voiced concerns over the fact that there wasn't quorum," Coleman said.

The College created the Foundation in 1981 to foster race relations and bridge cultural divisions at Harvard. The Foundation, among other activities, distributes funding to various cultural and ethnic groups on campus.

The new elections will likely be held today or tomorrow, according to Michael K. T. Tan '01, who, along with Rosalinda Rosalez '01, was elected as SAC co-chair in the nullified election.

The results were nullified later Wednesday afternoon when Coleman sent an e-mail to SAC members notifying them that only 13 groups were present at the election--far short of the two-thirds required for quorum.

According to Tan and Walter M. Kim '00, the Korean Association representative, the e-mail suggested that a second meeting be held with all 33 members to decide whether or not to accept the decision of the smaller body.

Only 17 people showed up at that meeting last Thursday, according to Kim, still three members short of the necessary quorum.

It was the decision to nullify the results of the election, though, which caused the most controversy among members of the committee.

"People are elected, it's not really fair to them, if there's a reelection and they lose," Kim said.

Mustafa M. Siddiqui '99-'00, a representative of the Harvard Islamic Society and a losing candidate in the nullified election, shared a different opinion in an e-mail.

"I think it was a mistake to go ahead with the election in the absence of quorum," said Siddiqui, who is also a Crimson editor and the Foundation's outgoing secretary.

Coleman said that "the vitality of the SAC comes from the students," and emphasized the role that students play in the organization.

"This is a very student oriented, student run election. I, in no way, am part of the decision-making process," she said.

According to Coleman, students are currently discussing possible places and times to reschedule the election in order to guarantee the presence of a quorum.

"The students are giving us responses as to what times in their schedules are good," Coleman said.