DASB Senate disqualifies newly elected senators

The top vote-getter in the DASB elections and another senator-elect were disqualified
by the current DASB Senate at its meeting March 9.

De Anza College Student Body Senate members cited violations of its elections code, but even considering violations was a violation.

The elections ran from Feb. 22 to March 1, and any violations needed to be reported by March 2 at 4 p.m. “All late complaints shall not be considered,” according to the DASB Elections Code.

Also, reports of violations needed to be heard by the elections committee, not the full senate.

At the senate meeting on March 9, witness testimony led senators to disqualify two members of the Unity Coalition: Chung Heng Lee, who finished first in the senate election with 541 votes, and Victor Lim, who finished third with 472 votes.

No DASB Senate has ever disqualified senators-elect, said John Cognetta, director of college life.

Witnesses Jeanine Palicte and Eion Bonner said they saw both Lee and Lim campaigning with their smartphones, which is not allowed by the elections code.

The witnesses said they didn’t report the infraction before the deadline because they didn’t know campaigning with a phone is forbidden until they heard friends, who are current senators, talking about the election code.

Trustee-elect Elias Kamal said he also saw two members of the Unity Coalition campaigning with their smartphones, but did not report the incident.

Senators said that campaigning with a smartphone gives candidates an unfair advantage. Senator Thao Le likened it to having a candidate standing outside a voting booth.

Both Lee and Lim denied they ever campaigned with their smartphones.

Senator Vin Gomez, who had previously voted against Lee in the DASB midterm election on Oct. 21, 2015, said that denying the allegations was not an adequate defense.

Lee said it seemed to him that senators made up their mind beforehand.

“I’m guilty unless proven otherwise,” he said in an interview after the meeting.

When asked why witnesses would lie, Lee said his coalition had won a majority in the senate. “Maybe that played a role,” he said.

Previously, Faiz Mujadid, a senator-elect who came in fourth place with 409 votes, admitted to campaigning with this phone at an election committee meeting on March 4.

He said he used his phone to show students the Unity Coalition’s Facebook page, not coerce students into voting for him.

The election committee did not disqualify him, but made taking his seat as senator contingent on completing 10 hours of community service.

The eight other members of the Unity Coalition were also sentenced to complete 10 hours of community service because the election code states candidates in a coalition are jointly responsible for their campaign.

Le, who had participated in the election committee meeting, brought Mujadid’s case to the March 9 DASB Senate meeting because she said she wanted a more severe punishment.

“I think the elections committee decision was not well made, and further complaints have been discovered,” Le said at the March 9 meeting, also referring to the new witness statements made against Lee and Lim.

The DASB Senate did not disqualify Mujadid, after Cognetta advised against retrying him, citing double jeopardy where the defendant is charged repeatedly for the same crime.

Senators voiced their displeasure about not being able to take further action.

“I feel hurt leaving this school knowing that, you know, people who might lack integrity may be taking over senate,” senator Michelle Bounkousohn said, addressing Mujadid and six other members of Unity Coalition who will serve on the incoming senate.

Lim said in an interview after the meeting that he will run for senate in midterm elections because he still wants to fight for De Anza students.

“Eighteen senators,” he said, “overturned the decision of over 500 students.”