N
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      Political
      Studies
      students,
     
     
      and
      as
      part
      of
      the
      executive
      of
      the
     
     
      Political
      Studies
      Society,
      we
      have
      a
     
     
      responsibility
      to
      the
      student
      body
      of
     
     
      this
      university
      to
      point
      out
      the
      recent
     
     
      unacceptable
      behaviour
      --
      constitution-
     
     
      ally
      --
      of
      our
      governing
      student
      body.
     
     
      This
      is
      not
      a
      personal
      attack
      against
      the
     
     
      individual
      members
      of
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union;
      however,
      as
      a
      group,
      their
     
     
      uniform
      behaviour
      has
      been
      indifferent
     
     
      towards
      the
      desires
      of
      the
      Student
     
     
      body
      --
      those
      they
      represent
      --
      and
      in
     
     
      doing
      so,
      their
      behaviour
      has
      been
     
     
      undemocratic.
     
    

    
     
      The
      university
      experience
      is
      one
     
     
      that
      fosters
      the
      principles
      of
      freedom
      of
     
     
      thought
      and
      expression.
      It
      is
      therefore
     
     
      important
      that
      our
      system
      of
      govern-
     
    

    
     
      -
      ment
      (Student
      Union)
      adhere
      to
      these
     
     
      fundamental
      freedoms
      ina
      democratic
     
     
      manner.
      If
      this
      democratic
      ideal
      is
      not
     
     
      attempted,
      then
      we
      must
      question
      the
     
     
      need
      for
      a
      student
      governmentat
      all.
     
    

    
     
      Over
      the
      past
      four
      years,
      there
     
     
      have
      been
      a
      number
      of
      issues
      in
      which
     
     
      the
      Student
      Union
      has
      been
      involved.
     
     
      Unfortunately,
      in
      the
      past
      year
      the
     
     
      good
      intentions
      of
      the
      present
      Union
     
     
      has
      run
      afoul
      of
      this
      "ideal".
      The
      fact
     
     
      that
      the
      CFS
      referendum
      was
      made
     
     
      null
      and
      void
      due
      to
      outdated
      voting
     
     
      lists
      was
      but
      one
      of
      a
      number
      of
     
     
      incidents
      this
      year
      that
      has
      tainted
      the
     
     
      "reign"
      of
      the
      present
      government.
     
     
      With
      the
      best
      of
      intentions,
      they
      tried
     
     
      to
      resolve
      this
      problem
      by
      changing
     
     
      their
      constitution.
      Believing
      that
      it
     
     
      would
      prove
      too
      time
      consuming,
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Student
      Union
      adopted
      the
      present
     
     
      |
      eae
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fawwaes
      1
      whe
      edlives
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Student
      Union
      Undemocratic?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Constitution
      of
      the
      government
      of
     
     
      Prince
      Edward
      Island.
      Unfortunately,
     
     
      this
      government
      did
      not
      recognize
      one
     
     
      major
      obstacle:
      the
      student
      government
     
     
      is
      organized
      under
      a
      republican
      sys-
     
     
      tem,
      the
      Legislature
      operates
      under
      the
     
     
      parliamentary
      system.
      Inarepublican
     
     
      system,
      as
      in
      the
      United
      States,
      the
     
     
      people
      vote
      for
      the
      president.
      Ina
     
     
      parliamentary
      system,
      the
      people
      vote
     
     
      for
      the
      party,
      each
      party
      already
      having
     
     
      aleader.
      To
      use
      a
      parliamentary
     
     
      constitution
      inarepublican
      govern-
     
     
      ment
      is
      like
      putting
      a
      square
      peg
      ina
     
     
      round
      hole.
     
    

    
     
      The
      underlying
      principle
      of
     
     
      democracy
      is
      choice.
      Inthe
      upcoming
     
     
      student
      elections
      the
      position
      of
      presi-
     
     
      dent
      is
      being
      uncontested.
      Where
     
     
      there
      is
      no
      choice
      between
      candidates
     
     
      there
      must
      still
      be
      an
      option
      provided,
     
     
      in
      this
      case
      the
      simple
      option
      of
      refusal
     
     
      (i.e.
      "no,
      I
      do
      not
      want
      this
      person
      to
     
     
      be
      my
      president.").
      If
      the
      majority
      of
     
     
      voters
      choose
      "refusal",
      then
      itis
     
     
      obvious
      that
      the
      confidence
      for
      the
      one
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      candidate
      running
      to
      assume.the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      presidency
      is
      not
      there,
      and
      he/she
     
     
      would
      be
      defeated.
      At
      present,
      we
      do
     
     
      not
      have
      this
      choice.
      All
      students
     
     
      should
      be
      very
      concerned.
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      undeniable
      truths
     
     
      which
      determine
      "good:
      government:
     
    

    
     
      a)Government
      is
      empowered
     
     
      democratically
      by
      the
      people.
     
    

    
     
      b)Governmentacts
      on
      behalf
      of
     
     
      the
      people.
     
    

    
     
      c)Government
      acts
      in
      the
      best
     
     
      interest
      of
      the
      people.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
       
     
     
         
     
     
       
       
     
     
       
       
     
     
       
       
     
     
          
     
     
        
       
     
     
       
       
     
     
       
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Regular
      priced
      ltems
     
     
      Must
      show
      UPEI
      Student
      Card
      for
      discount
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ak
      Charlottetown
      Mall
      Open
      1D
      -
      ID
      Mon
      -Sat
      8929283
     
    
   
   
    
     
      April
      2,
      1996
     
    
   
   
    
     
      d)The
      People
      can
      withdraw
      this
     
     
      empowerment
      if
      and
      when
      any
      of
      the
     
     
      above
      criteria
      is
      not
      met.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Student
      Union,
      although
     
     
      acting
      with
      good
      intentions,
      has
      been
     
     
      lax
      in
      fulfilling
      the
      standards
      set
      for
     
     
      them
      by
      the
      very
      students
      who
      put
     
     
      them
      in
      power.
      With
      this
      in
      mind,
      we
     
     
      must
      ask
      the
      following:
      is
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union
      acting
      democratically
      (i.e.
     
     
      offering
      choice,
      especially
      for
      presi-
     
     
      dent);
      is
      the
      Student
      Union
      acting
      on
     
     
      the
      students’
      behalf
      or
      its
      own;
      is
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union
      acting
      in
      the
      students’
     
     
      best
      interest
      oritsown?
     
    

    
     
      In
      the
      end,
      if
      we
      cannot
      answer
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘these
      question
      in
      favour
      of
      the
      students
     
    
   
   
    
     
      themselves,
      then
      we
      must
      be
      con-
     
     
      cerned
      with
      the
      legitimacy
      of
      the
     
     
      governing
      body
      itself.
      The
      responsibil-
     
     
      ity
      to
      make
      this
      determination
      lies
      not
     
     
      with
      those
      who
      sit
      in
      power;
      it
      rests
     
     
      with
      those
      who
      put
      them
      there
      --
      we,
     
     
      the
      student
      body.
      An
      election
      seen
      to
     
     
      be
      illegitimate
      is
      no
      election
      at
      all.
      The
     
     
      Student
      Union
      saw
      fit
      to
      declare
      the
     
     
      recent
      CFS
      referendum
      void
      due
      to
     
     
      improper
      procedures.
      We
      the
      students
     
     
      have
      the
      right
      (and
      power)
      to
      do
      the
     
     
      same
      when
      the
      Student
      Union
      election
     
     
      also
      follows
      improper
      procedures.
     
    

    
     
      Where
      there
      is
      no
      choice,
      there
     
     
      isno
      freedom;
      :
     
    

    
     
      Where
      there
      is
      no
      freedom,
     
     
      democracy
      cannot
      exist.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Egan
      Henderson
      and
      Marianne
     
     
      Murphy,
      On
      behalf
      of
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      Political
      Studies
      Society.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “The
      Panther
      Brinsi
      is
      ‘he
      en
     
     
      newspaper
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      the
      University
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