Abdalians Alumni Home

Monday, 21 February 2011 18:00

After all three nominations for the position of the President were REJECTED by the Scrutiny Committee earlier, it held a meeting again on 17-Feb-2011 to discuss the future of the elections on 13th March 2011. The meeting was presided by the incumbent President. It can be safely assumed that participants of this meeting comprised of the members of the Scrutiny Committee and the President only. According to the official website of HOBA, all members of the Scrutiny Committee unanimously held that the scrutiny process was "transparent" and "unbiased". The members of the Scrutiny Committee also held that "whatever" is the rule, it must be adhered to by the "educated class of Abdalians". Despite the unanimous view opined by the Scrutiny Committee, that the rejection of nomination papers was correct under the law, the same people decided to accept the nomination papers of all three candidates. However, it decided that "let this be the last time to allow elections on erroneous nomination papers". NO MR. PRESIDENT! YES MR. PRESIDENT!

Interestingly, in a similar situation in last years elections, the Scrutiny Committee and the subsequently formed Wider Committee, decided that it will be "the first and the last time" that elections will be allowed to proceed on erroneous nomination papers. This year the Committee repeated what it said last year. So much for the rule of law! An interesting situation will surface, when the new President will preside his first meeting, only to note that all other members sitting around the table rejected his nomination as the President!

It is generally being felt within the Abdalian community, which all belongs to the educated class, that the elections have become a farce. No wonder that the younger Abdalians do not have any interest to participate in various Alumni programmes. HOBA over the years has failed to encourage alumni to register as members. The voters list depicts a grim view, considering there are only a few hundred elegible voters out of 6,000 plus alumni spread around the world. The Abdalian Association should encourage younger alumni to come forward and contribute towards the ever expanding family.