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while the anti-globalizationmovement sits on the back burner in the aftermath of September 11, no-logo activism is set to grab the power seat in next week’s Student Administrative Council election at U of T.Rise Up!, the group that ferried 400 U of T students to Quebec for the Summit of the Americas in April, is running International Socialist member Alex Kerner as prez on a platform endorsing environmental consciousness, global justice and anti-corporatization.
Given the lack of serious contenders, it looks like Kerner is a shoo-in. “We want to focus the broader concerns of globalization on specific issues like tuition and corporatization,’ he says.
Some might ask if his membership in a Marxist-Leninist organization will prove a barrier to winning mass endorsement. “I encourage people to judge me by my actions,’ Kerner says, not by his affiliations.
Kerner’s sole competition is proposing a virtual puppet government under the rule of a stuffed rabbit. The “Wabbit’ campaign disagrees with virtually every issue close to the no-logo heart, even expressing a preference for genetically modified carrots.
“Wabbit provides students with a choice and the ability to scrutinize political leaders,’ Wabbit Andrew Galbraith says. “It’s a chance for a democratic choice.’
Last year, SAC’s election results were tossed out after the chief returning officer reported complaints of underhanded campaigning (putting up posters before and after the campaign period) and deemed the entire scenario “detestable.”
This year SAC promises to play the heavy by enforcing compliance with an 11-page list of rules. Every poster, speech and megaphone used will be accounted for, and a new violation system will impose demerit points and fines on candidates for any infraction.
Neilank Jha, last year’s election winner, tasted presidential victory only briefly before being disqualified on charges of campaigning past the agreed period.
SAC’s interim VP of education, Courtney MacDonald, says a flimsy election code, new online voting system and an unusually large number of candidates added to the chaos. “We’ve done a lot to ensure that a situation like last year’s won’t happen again.’
