Guild show poker face in vote-rigging debacle

Following on from yesterday’s vote-rigging scandal, the Guild released a statement to The Tab this evening and they’re keeping their cards close to their chest.

The statement reads:

“Last night (Monday 28th January) the General Meeting (GM) of the University of Birmingham Guild of Students took place at 6pm in the Avon Room, University campus.

Prior to the meeting the Guild received allegations surrounding the legitimacy of the proxy voting system. In light of the allegations a procedural motion was submitted at the start of the meeting and attendees were asked to vote on whether it should be adjourned to a later date.

One hundred and nineteen students voted ‘for’ the General Meeting to be adjourned until further notice. Eighty voted ‘against’ and three voted to ‘abstain’. The General Meeting was therefore adjourned.

The Guild of Students is unable to comment further whilst an investigation into the allegations takes place.”

Allegations of vote-rigging arose when a Facebook thread was posted on Spotted: University of Birmingham, which showed Vice President of Democracy Leander Jones and other Guild council members discussing how to prevent ‘no’ proxy votes at last night’s General Meeting.

An investigation into the alleged wrongdoing could take up to two weeks to complete. In the meantime the Vice President of Democracy’s future at the Guild looks to be hanging in the balance.