Pradeep Eranti
Fernanda Bajanca
Pradeep Eranti
Lidia Natalia Trusilewicz
Board Elections 2020
Dear all,
after all the drama and missinformation - not inclusion of transparency and mistakes by the previous Chair of MCAA as he personally admited the elections are over.
I am personally happy that this year it did not happened like last time that all the candidates grouped as "Mission 2020" got the positions. I have personally due this made some abstinence in voting for solo candidates (hopefully next time this will be regulated and forbidden - the propaganda of a group).
To be focused about the current situation:
Is it possible to have visible the results/number of votes for each candidate now that we have a New Board and to explain to us why do we have 2 Vice-Chairs?
Also, it is finally possible to have some written explanation why some candidates could group as a party (like the Mission 2020 two years ago) so we can avoid similar scenarios in the future?
Thank you and take care in this very dangerous times!
Kind regards from Madrid.
5 Comments
Dear all,
The new Board elected with their profiles can be consulted here: https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/about-us/mcaa-board
The total elections results have been enclosed since 28/03: https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/2020-conference/elections/results
Finally, the minutes from all the meetings held, not only the board, are usually located here: https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/mcaa-documents, for which was my question including the meeting on 31/03 minutes that is no yet published (the opposite of the new board members profiles). An email with this acts or minutes to all the members would be also appreciated.
Have a good day!
Lidia
Dear all,
The election task force have reviewed the concerns and allegations that were raised with regard to the MCAA board elections. We have concluded that the elections were conducted according to the rules set out before the opening of nominations. As circumstances changed, since January 2020 and through February and March, the board decided to hold elections online rather than in Zagreb. We adapted the election processes to ensure the safety of our membership while maintaining the integrity and transparency of the election process.
All of the issues raised by candidates regarding alleged irregularities and potential cyber attacks have been fully investigated, and were addressed, or found to be unsubstantiated. The IT system was tested before the elections and all bugs were fixed. The elections ran smoothly, with the exception of a minor slowdown of the system in the first hours after opening the polls.
The election task force comprises members of the (former) board who were not running for election, and whose primary goal was to ensure that MCAA board elections were conducted fairly and transparently. In spite of the challenges posed by COVID-19, which continue to impact all of us, we feel confident that these objectives were met.
Bests regards,
The election task force
Dear all,
first this is going out of the topic which I have started and Nihal pretty much supported.
I have heard of other members that also their account was hacked during the elections (not mine personally) and due to Nihal extreme professional background in this matter (hacking) I pretty ask you not to bully her anymore.
I apologize on being silent in this period but as you know Spain has been hit hard with COVID-19 and plus I have a small baby and I am working from home.
I am supprised why Marco Massia still is answering any questions about security? What is actually his role if he is not anymore the Ordenary Board Member?
And finally - let us face it - the elections were again tried to be staged as in 2018 and it should be reported to Brussels. I do not feel this Board should have any members conected to any collective which is representing themselves as a political group. This is why I support that the elections should be repeated. "Mission 2020" was critized by Brussels as well as "Next MCAA". We should make a joint complain.
Again, please do not bully Dr. Yagmur Aydin anymore. Her arguments are on point with evidence. Something here is not right.
Take care.
Kind regards, Dr. Diaz Ivana
Dear Ivana,
You raise several points that the MCAA board would like to clarify:
First, the technical complaints. Please note that MCAA web platforms and IT services are managed by a professional IT company appointed by the European Commission (EC). Nihal’s accusation was received and dealt with by the previous board. Upon revival of this claim by Nihal, the current board requested the service provider to further investigate the claims, which proved unfounded. To our knowledge, no other member complained officially of hacking.
Second, the board elections. The EC has two representatives sitting in the MCAA executive committee (excom) as well as the board. They followed all board elections ever run by the MCAA. When needed, MCAA service providers (external providers) discussed the election process with the EC representatives.The EC representatives have never shared any concern about the election process. After the claim, the excom reached out to the EC representatives. The EC representatives did not share a single doubt about the election. In addition, on behalf of the Election Task Force and as chair of the Information and Data Access Working Group, Marco Masia replied to Nihal’s comments publicly about her unsubstantiated claims.
This year, ALL MCAA members had the opportunity to suggest their next representative using online tools. The 11 board members were democratically elected with a high number of votes and the choice of MCAA members will be respected. Divergent opinions and a discussion on the process are always welcome, as long as these respect other members’ opinions.
In the meanwhile, the board was mandated by MCAA members to represent them and it will act in accordance with the Article of the Association (https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/statutes).
Third, Ethics. Defamation and harassment are punishable by law. The MCAA board condemns any form of bullying. In the public Forum, Nihal has engaged multiple times in behaviours that are inappropriate and offensive, like writing xenophobic messages, making false accusations and defaming other members, and making unsupported accusations to the board of discriminating people based on gender, race and opinion. She attacked other members that did not share her opinion. In addition to the public posts on the Forum, the board has received over 50 emails from Nihal since it was elected, where she kept on accusing the board, sometimes on a personal level. In addition, several members shared their concern with the board and raised complaints about her behavior related to other matters. MCAA is funded on reciprocal respect, and inappropriate and offensive behaviors are not tolerated.
We invite you to continue to share your opinions, suggestions and criticisms. They are always welcomed as an opportunity for growth when communicated in a respectful way as it is the norm among MCAA members.
The MCAA Board
Dear all,
I personally would like to know how has it been and ended up the meeting in Brussels that was held on 31-03 to validate the elections 2020 we had online. When there will be a note about it and will it be attached to the election webpage.
Regards,
Lidia