Jonathan Szydlo/BBC Managing Editor
On March 21, the Student Government Council at the Biscayne Bay Campus Supreme Court met to rule on two cases, but were only able to move forward with a decision on one of the grievances submitted due to the court’s inability to follow procedure.
The court first heard the case that presidential hopeful Pablo Haspel brought up against the SGC-BBC Elections Board March 7 decision as being in violation of the SGC-BBC Elections Code.
“What [Oluwatobi] Adekoya had asked for was in the interest of the student body,” said Fu Zhou Wu, SGC-BBC elections board member, in reference to the Election Board’s decision to allow Adekoya to drop Haspel as his running mate and create his own presidential ticket. “Since we live in a capitalist society, competition would always lead to progress. [Our decision] would give students the opportunity to elect who they want to elect and not have to make due [with a single candidate].”
The SGC-BBC Supreme Court ruled against the SGC-BBC Elections Board.
“The court has found the elections board in violation of 706.06 Subsection VII, and will not recognize the split ticket,” said Martha Ochoa, SGC-BBC Supreme Court Chief Justice in her ruling. “If we don’t follow our statutes then no one else will. Before the elections board makes any more decisions, read the statutes first.”
As a result, all positions in the 2012 SGC-BBC elections will be uncontested.
The court then began hearing procedures on a petition for legal review filed by Adekoya contesting Haspel’s eligibility to run for president.
The court decided to hear the case on March 19. The petition was officially filed on March 21, the same day as the hearing.
“So you want me to prepare my defense in five minutes?” Haspel asked the court after being handed the official petition that was filed against him that same morning.
Along with the petition being filed on the day of the hearing, Adekoya, the accuser, was not present.
The SGC-BBC supreme court scheduled to reconvene on March 26 at 8 p.m. to hear the petition filed by Adekoya. If the court rules in favor of Adekoya, it will disqualify Haspel as a presidential candidate and allow Adekoya to run for SGC-BBC president by default.
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