Disqualified DASB senators reinstated

The two senators-elect disqualified by the previous senate after finishing first and third in the general election have been allowed to join this school year’s DASB Senate.

Michele LeBleu-Burns, dean of student development, overturned the previous senate’s decision to disqualify senators-elect Chung Heng Lee and Victor Lim after Lee and Lim appealed the previous senate’s decision.

LeBleu-Burns told the previous senate that they had violated their own policy by disqualifying the senators-elect, Lim said.

The previous senate disqualified Lee and Lim following allegations that Lee and Lim used their phones while campaigning.

The election code prohibits senate candidates from campaigning with their phones and showing students how to vote. Several students submitted written complaints saying that they saw Lee, Lim and other members of their coalition campaigning showing students how to vote.

These allegations were addressed at a senate meeting on March 9 instead of the elections committee meeting on March 4.

The election code states that all complaints must be filed by 4 p.m. the day after the election ends and late complaints shall not be considered.

The complaints that caused the previous senate to disqualify Lee and Lim were filed days after the deadline, meaning the senate violated the elections code by taking action on those complaints.

“I did not expect much from the appeal,” Lim said. “I was really happy that my hard work for the election did not go to waste.”

During the elections committee meeting, one member of the Unity coalition, Faiz Mujadid, admitted to using his phone to campaign, but said he only used his phone to show students the coalition’s Facebook page and did not coerce students into voting for him.

The Unity Coalition must still serve 10 hours of community service for this infraction.