It was decided at the ordinary APRALO meeting on 22 June to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the business of the APRALO Chair and Vice Chair elections.
Click here to read the transcription of the ordinary monthly APRALO meeting on 22 June.
Participants: Izumi Aizu, James Seng, Vivek Annand, Hong Xue, Fouad Bajwa, Cheryl Langdon-Orr, Edmon Chung, Siva Muthusamy, Rajnesh Singh
Apologies: Les Allison
Staff: Heidi Ullrich, Matthias Langenegger
Fawad Bajwa: Okay, as Cheryl has shared, we are going to approach the option of the extraordinary meeting, at 7:16 a.m. local time Brussels. We are going to move toward closure of the meeting is all the members on the floor are willing. Yes, we have full member presence, noting that all members have said unanimously we are going to close the general meeting and now I would like to request all the members on the floor that we will be entering the extraordinary meeting at 7:17 Brussels local time.
Are all the members on the floor willing to move into extraordinary meeting? Unanimously all members have agreed at 7:17 a.m. Brussels local time to start the extraordinary meeting and we will discuss the management issues of APRALO in context of the election of the chair, or selection of the Chair for the remaining period, time period of the time that has been left vacated. I leave all discussion to the floor now. Thank you.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: If I may, may I ask a clarification point from the staff, because we have a rotating two year appointment (inaudible 0:14:45) can you make clear to all of us in the room and for the record, exactly who is elected for what period of time, and in what positions?
Matthias Langenegger: Now, Lance was elected for a two year periods, started in April 2010, the remainder of his term ends on April 2012, it’s a two year term for the Vice-Chair position that is currently open. With regards to the Chair position, the remainder for that period is another year. That period started in March 2009, and will end in March 2011.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: If I may, regardless of the plans or polls for the normal form of electoral process that our particular by-laws allow for us, and noting that we have sufficient numbers to make alterations to these by-laws here today, which may indeed be required, it would appear to me to be an imminently sensible plan, as we are in a caretaker situation, to immediately shift to the single validly elected serving officer to the longer term. In other words, our current Vice-Chair now take up the two year position ending when previously listed, in 2012. That gives us some sense of continuity, and a little bit less like we’re drowning, not waving.
We then have the matter of discussing what Fawad has just said, which is as vice chair, he obviously wants to act in his role as vice chair, but as a one man Vice-Chair taking on the whole leadership this would be fraught with danger and probably far too stressful for him. So we now need to look at how we populate the rest of those positions. There is a formal mechanism for that, I think clearly we have to enact that formal mechanism. That formal mechanism takes time. It takes a required amount of time under our by-laws.
To this end, I would like to suggest that Professor Hong Xue, if she can be profiled upon can act in a caretaking role, either at the wheel of the meeting as a caretaker elect to the, just as caretaker, or act as – because she was a founding member, as was Zumi, she’s constantly involved in our meetings, to my knowledge she’s never missed one, including from her sickbed, or unless she’s been in her sickbed. She has an extraordinary record within APRALO, and in the ALAC and I think Fawad would benefit by having her, in whatever partnership the meeting thinks is a good idea, Hong’s guidance and as a caretaker relation, so I’d like to do that in two ways.
Move that you take the two year position, formally, and if I can get a second for that, that can go to the books, and secondly open a discussion on how between putting our call for elections out, and those elections happening, we have a sensible committed caretaking relationship, and I’m putting forward Professor Hong Xue on that point.
Fawad Bajwa: I think the proposal from Cheryl is workable, from my personal point of view, and definitely if I’ve come in as vice chair, frankly speaking, I would – I went for election, and it didn’t matter to me whether it was for one year or two years, it mattered for me was to serve the Asia Pacific region in an important role and represent my regions ALSs and get more participation, something that I’m good in because I’ve had my experiences from open source community since (inaudible 0:19:16). So I could extend that over here, and then of course the internet issues in our part of the world are fairly well neglected, I would say.
And we constitute like half the population of the world. So we have some serious issues we should have to take care of better, so that’s my motivation in that. So I won’t mind moving up the ladder in the Vice-Chair position, in terms of the number of months to continue, but then yes, I would love to have Hong as our Chair for the interim period, and this is my comment. Everyone please share your ideas and comments over this before we actually go to make this decision.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Perhaps we should quite literally, as we should be doing consensus, go to Hong and see whether I have shocked her to her very core, and she’s even willing, able, or insane enough to take on the offer. And then I’d like to see, we should be able to go by consensus to go round that room, so perhaps to go to Zumi and he can hear everyone’s voices. Go ahead, Hong. – are you willing or even able to do the role I’m proposing for you?
Hong Xue: Well, okay. Well thanks Cheryl and Mr. Bajwa for your kind trust, and thank you for putting trust in me. Well, I’m very grateful for the opportunity to serve the community and the organization. Zumi and I were the two oldest timers of this organization. We spent three years, from 2003 and 2006 to get organization set up, I was the person who drafted the by-laws, and one of the person to check the legal issues, so I was checking the procedure just now to see how to handle this extraordinary circumstances.
It is true our organization even though it is in a very healthy status, is not in a turbulence period in respect to the leadership. The chair, which should be in the normal term resigned suddenly and the vice chair, the senior Vice-Chair also resigned suddenly. Mr. Bajwa, fortunately we have you here, just being elected by the region, so a very high expectation of you young people representing the internet for the future, in the Asia Pacific region. So it seems this is a very turbulent bumpy period. We need a smooth transition, so for that reason I think I can take the transition role to temporary take care of organization and to service the remaining term of Karaitiana; it will be a few months until next year.
Fawad Bajwa: Article 5.6.
Hong Xue: Oh, okay. You can be a lawyer now, right. And of course, that said, I hope we have a full election to follow the by-laws, as a lawyer, I obviously believe in all the rules, legal documents, yes. But of course, I defer to colleagues and regions to see if any objections to this temporary arrangement.
Zumi Azo I wanted to jump in to talk is that – yes – Zumi Azo speaking. Thank you Cheryl for your excellent proposal, and I am more than happy to hear from Hong that my sort of longest colleague in this room, to be very willing to take the leadership position, which is often, to me at least, as a burden, to volunteer is important work. Is really welcome and I want to give my full personal support to you. Thank you.
James Seng: My general comment is I think Hong has humongous amount of experience in APRALO, and she will be definitely a super candidate to take on the role.
Vivec: Good morning everyone. ICANN meeting really helps me to keep away from – this is Vivec here. So I can really use me a break that I don’t need to lecture, and it’s good to hear lecture. So it is a nice lecture we heard this morning on a few things, so I do support Hong is a sensible mentor here along with Cheryl and even though I said last year she was not directly connected with APRALO, but I see her at meetings, conferences, everything. And I think all ends well.
Edmund Chong: This is Edmund Chong. I’m very supportive and thanks for bringing this up and making this suggestion, Cheryl. I think Raj on the phone would like to make some comments too. Raj, are you there?
Raj: This is Raj, can you guys here me? (Inaudible 0:25:15)
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Sorry, I’m just leaning over against the chair now and he’s getting worried, can I just ask you Raj, with Les being, obviously needing to be focusing on his own future, as all people who make decisions to leave our organization undoubtedly are doing, can we see that you are the voting nominated person for the Pacific Islands chapters, because we don’t want to lose the vote and voice of the chapter as well. I don’t think that would compromise your position in ISEC, otherwise every ISEC chapter person would be completely compromised.
Raj: (Inaudible 0:27:02).
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: So you’ll come back to us with a solution? Either your name of someone else’s, there will be a clear point of connection for information to go out to Pacific Island Chapters and for voting or polls to be responded to.
Fawad Bajwa: Thank you Raj, will the staff please take note of this, and Raj will get back to us on this. Okay, Raj. Now before we move ahead can you please comment on the suggestion of Hong as interim Chairman for the rest of the term?
Raj: Yes I did say I do support that, and I wasn’t (inaudible 0:28:16).
Fawad Bajwa: Okay, thank you Raj. Edmund, you have something to say?
Edmund Chong: Yeah, just one more comment. I’m speaking for Pavan here, but I think the (inaudible 0:28:29) as a secretariat would be looking forward to working with Hong and yourself.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay, great. I think we have Siva on the line. Siva, are you on the phone? Can you hear me?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Do you need to unmute? Star seven – we can’t hear you Siva. Can you just type your points, perhaps?
Fawad Bajwa: Siva, if you can hear me, we are discussing an extraordinary meeting of APRALO, the issue, the agenda item about the selection or election of a Chair for the remaining term from where the ex-Chair had resigned. Okay, he doesn’t have our view. So on the site can you please take his comments, Heidi. Okay, on the present floor at the moment, we have all members and thankfully Hong accepting the proposal for interim Chair for the remaining term of the ex-chair, and from the floor we have full consensus, Cheryl, we have your consensus as well?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Absolutely.
Fawad Bajwa: You have my consensus as well, right? so may we proceed to take a formal yes on this?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: We don’t need to. The by-laws say we should go by consensus and if we have to go by vote then we need to ensure it is only one ALS one vote.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay. We’ll give just 30 seconds to Siva if we can get his comment as well.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: This technology will be good if it eventually works. We need an internet or something. It’s a good concept. I wonder who will come up with it?
Raj: (Inaudible)
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Well said, Raj. Well said.
Raj: (Inaudible)
Fawad Bajwa: But right then, we have you to turn to. You’re our super tech guy, guru.
Raj: (Inaudible)
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Siva did agree in text, so I think we probably can just move to the acclamation at this point.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay, floor, as we discussed this already, we have full consensus from all members who are present at the extraordinary APRALO meeting. At this time it is 7:36 Brussels local time on the 22nd of June, 2010. We formally declare that Hong Xue has been selected/elected as the incoming interim Chairman of APRALO, and from this point onwards I would like to pass on the mike and the Chairmanship, now the Chairpersonship Chair to Hong Xue to please take forward the item of selection for the Chair for the position from March 2010 to March 2011. Am I right Heidi? Is that the time period for the Vice-Chair?
Heidi Ulrich: From 2011 on. We now need to go into a normal electoral process for the Vice Chair to open, and that’s all we need to do. The Vice-Chair open, and then the rest goes back into synch.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: If Hong can’t get that right; I’ve made a really bad choice.
Fawad Bajwa: Before I actually open up the consensus for selection and extension of my term into Lesley’s Vice-Chair position, I will leave it as a new agenda item to Hong – yes, hi Siva.
Siva: (Inaudible) 0:33:19
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Okay, thank you Siva.
Fawad Bajwa: Thank you Siva. We’ve noted that. Thank you very much. So I pass on the Chair position to Hong, and now Hong you are my Chair and APRALO’s Chair, with full member consensus. The whole control of the meeting is now to you, and I’m a regular member.
Vivek: Let me complete what Fawad forgot: it is 7:40 local time, Brussels.
Hong Xue: Okay, so there’s more precise in lawyers, and we are counting times. Mr. Bajwa, I wish you would continue to Chair the meeting, because the next agenda item is actually update from Brussels. I was not here for the last three days, so I hand over to you –
Vivek: So at 7:41 Brussels, Fawad takes over.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Vivek, stop it. You’re bad. Madam Chair, I will need to leave the room in a moment or two to go to Fellowship, which I know you’re very supportive of, so I know you’ll want me to be there on time. Just to say we do have an ability to ensure that we enshrine Fawad’s positioning to the two year run that hasn’t been formalized, but my vote, so it is on the record, is for that, and I’m moving that. So my support for that should be recorded as making the motion, I don’t think you need to hear me speak to it again.
Hong Xue: Absolutely, on the record now. So I assume you should continue to do the Chair of the meeting.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Yes, I do think so, for the record.
Fawad Bajwa: For the record, our chairperson, Hong Xue, wants me to continue the meeting, what is the tradition that we should be discussing for moving my position, into two years? Take full consensus on that and then we end the extraordinary meeting, for fifteen minutes, have coffee, and go back to discussing the rest of the agenda items and the meeting agenda.
Hong Xue: Okay, we can actually talk about this issue right now, if everybody is okay with that. According to the by-laws there is no such shifting procedure, but of course we can have the interpretation of these existing laws. I don’t believe we need to call for another election on this, just will be really not cost effective when we just had election and you were elected. You were trusted by the region, by the local community already, so I do suggest we use the consensus model rather than going to another re-election model. So I want to hear the comments from the region, from the colleagues.
Fawad Bajwa: Edmund, do you want to comment on the issue?
Vivek: I’m good. I’m in consensus with Hong.
Fawad Bajwa: Vivek is also in consensus with Hong. Siva is also with everyone. We have James missing for the moment. And Raj, what are your comments on the issue of me moving into Lesley’s term and continuing for an additional year as Vice-Chair?
Raj: (Inaudible 0:37:14).
Fawad Bajwa: Okay, and is Pavan online? Yes, Pavan. The issue you must have heard it.
Pavan: (Inaudible 0:37:24).
Fawad Bajwa: Okay, and Siva. If you’ve heard the suggestion from the floor, you’ll comment. Siva, if you’re muted, please unmute, or type it please.
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: As long as you’re typing yes. Not that I’m biasing you, at all.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay. Can he text what his decision is?
Cheryl Langdon-Orr: Thank you one and all, I will do my best to enjoy (inaudible 0:38:54).
Fawad Bajwa: Thank you. Let’s give it another twenty seconds. He has to say yes or no.
Hong Xue: I assume there’s some technical problem to prevent him from typing and hearing and speaking. So apart from Siva, I can see we – James has just joined us. We’re not talking about the full two years term, we agree to go with consensus model rather than have another election.
James Seng: This is James, I agree.
Fawad Bajwa: Thank you James. So Siva is agree or disagree. We are just finally waiting for Siva’s answer and then we will create another agenda item and move it on the floor and finally close the extraordinary meeting.
Siva: Can you hear me?
Fawad Bajwa: Yes, Siva, we can.
Siva: (Inaudible 0:40:21).
Fawad Bajwa: Yes Siva. The discussion at the moment it, it has been suggested from the floor that I continue into the term of Lesley as Vice-Chair for the remaining time here, which is two years and with that another agenda item will be cleared, which is my Vice-Chair position from which I’ll be moving into the second Vice-Chair position which is right after this, so we need an agreement, do you agree to my moving into two years vice chairmanship of APRALO?
Siva: (Inaudible 0:41:12)
Fawad Bajwa: Did you get that?
Hong Xue: I assume you need to re-interpret this issue?
Fawad Bajwa: Okay, Siva. I’m going to try again. As you are –
Siva: (Inaudible 0:41:46).
Fawad Bajwa: The question on the floor is, it has been suggested by the floor that I take up the two year term that Lesley has resigned from, for the position of Vice-Chair of APRALO, since I am already elected, it was suggested that I move into that term for two years, and the floor has unanimously agreed at the moment, we need your agreement now, whether you agree to this proposal.
Siva: So the question, my comment, would the second vice president (inaudible 0:42:44) have a one year term?
Fawad Bajwa: Yes, that is the second agenda item. Once this is agreed upon we will move into that.
Siva: Okay, okay. I agree to that, no problem.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay, Thank you Siva. So at this time at 7:46 22nd June 2010 in Brussels, and APRALO has agreed in an extraordinary meeting to push me up the vice chairmanship ladder from one year into two years, so Thank you very much. For Fawad Bajwa, that is me, moving up the time ladder of Vice-Chairmanship into two years, my position as Vice-Chair of APRALO for the continuing term of the ex Vice-Chair for a period of one year from March 2010 to March 2011 is not open for selection/election of a vice chair.
So once again, this is our final extraordinary meeting agenda item, I’m going to leave it upon the floor to decide how they would like to move with this agenda item. There were three contestants in the election; Lesley, me, and Siva. Lesley of course got the most votes and became the ex Vice-Chair for a period of two years of APRALO, and then me of course became the ex Vice-Chair for a period of one year, on the continuing term of the ex Vice-Chair and now since I’ve moved up the time ladder and I am the Vice-Chair of the remaining two years time period of Lesley’s term.
This position is available and I don’t know how we can – there’s no particular recommendation in the operating principles, but there would be two ways of looking at this. There would be like Siva was there and he also received some votes. He was a runner-up, but at the same time I don’t know how we can look into this – should there be two people from the same region on such a position, or should we have someone else from the floor to step in? This agenda item is now left to the floor. Please.
Raj: I wonder if I can make a comment. This is Raj. I do believe we need to go to an election process - resignation that has been offered and accepted, so it does mean someone has vacated the position and you need to hold elections again?
Vivek: I agree with Raj in the sense that since you are elected it is extending the term to the other position, and the other one is not elected, so I think it would be a good thing to do for an election.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay, Edmund?
Edmund Chong: This is the topic on the other Vice-Chair and we were trying to discuss what to do, but I think that perhaps – do we have to make a decision this particular –
Fawad Bajwa: No, not necessarily.
Edmund Chong: I think it’s just perhaps better to send it out to the list and see if there are interested parties who would want to serve as the other vice chair.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay. Zumi?
Zumi Azo I also think that it’s a good idea to solicit any candidates who want to take the leadership, unless we have some urgent need, which I don’t see.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay. James?
James Seng: I support Edmund in his point of view that we should circulate to a larger audience for nomination.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay. Hong?
Hong Xue: I agree with Vivek because there is a procedure issue here, different from the situation of Mr. Bajwa who has been elected as a Vice-Chair by the region and now we are talking about only the difference of term of service, but now if we are open the door for a new election, we need to go through the procedure that has been defined by the by-laws, so that’s my concern.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay. Pavan? Pavan, can you hear me? What are your comments on the issue?
Pavan: I think I agree with Raj that we should have an election about this and not agree on it right away.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay. Siva. What are your comments on the issue?
Siva: Yeah, I’m with you on that.
Fawad Bajwa: Okay. At this moment in time, at 7:52 on 22nd of June 2010 all members present during the APRALO extraordinary meeting resolve that the position vacant for the term 2010 to 2011 left open by Fawad Bajwa who is now Vice-Chair for the term of two years, shall be opened to the APRALO consensus for either election/selection process, and a formal election process will be started after consultation with the community towards how this position can be filled.
So we have a unanimous vote on this, and now finally, we are coming to the conclusion of the extraordinary meeting, we have formally and officially selected our Chairperson, Hong Xue, and Fawad Bajwa, myself, has moved up to the position within the vice chairmanship for a term of two years, so if I have the consensus of the floor, I conclude this extraordinary meeting and we now go back, reopen general meeting - APRALO general meeting taking place on the 22nd of June, 2010 in Brussels. Thank you so much, and I invite Hong from this point onwards to please conduct the general meeting.
The ordinary APRALO meeting resumed.
