On Monday, December 7, should Council recall Blake Frederick and Tim Chu from their executive positions, the AMS will immediately need to appoint a new president and VP external. Only current councilors can be appointed, and it is expected that they will hold these interim positions until the end of February, when next year’s councilors will be elected. Councilors will be nominated during the Monday meeting, and a secret ballot will be immediately be held. The time commitment is large, the transition short and steep, and the task—returning the AMS to normalcy, getting the SUB Renew project back on track and repairing relationships with UBC and the provincial government—is great. Who can we count on?

Based on our on research, we have broken down a list of those councilors who have considered running for the positions and who stand a chance of being elected, should they run.

FOR PRESIDENT

Andrew Carne
—Engineering Rep.

Background: EUS executive member since 2006. AMS councilor since March 2008, two-time candidate for Board of Governors (BoG), key member of several important committees (Code and Policies, Primary Appointments, Campus Planning).
Vote on Censure Motion: For censuring Frederick.
Status: Is considering, has not ruled it out.
Pros: Seen as a non-partisan consensus builder. Demeanor is ideal for an interim leader. Extremely knowledgeable about both internal affairs of the AMS and the operation of UBC administration. Full disclosure: We may be biased. Andrew Carne fixed our internet comments and is hailed as the savior of ubyssey.ca.
Cons: Unassuming personality may not help in snap election against more colourful candidates. Lack of high-level executive experience at UBC.

Geoff Costeloe
—Senate Rep.

Background: Senator since March 2008, chair of student senate caucus, elected vice-chair of the Senate in October 2008. Vocal critic of Frederick and Chu for several months.
Vote on Censure Motion: For censuring Frederick.
Status: After consideration, has declined to run, citing a lack of free time.
Pros: Passionate about mending relationships with groups that work with the AMS. Knows academic issues inside and out. Very effective communicator.
Cons: He’s not running. Also, after months of being Council’s most vocal critic of Frederick and Chu, he would have issues bringing the AMS together again.

Matthew Naylor
—Arts Rep.

Background: AMS councilor from 2006–2007, 2008–present. VP external from 2007–2008. Candidate for AMS president in 2008. Candidate for Electoral Area A Representative in 2008. Chair of Code and Policy Committee, among other things.
Vote on Censure Motion: For censuring Frederick.
Status: After consideration, has declined to run for any positions on AMS Council, and has previously told The Ubyssey he was done with seeking positions in the AMS.
Pros: Has more experience in the AMS than virtually all other Council members. Intimately knowledgeable of all facets of the society. Time as VP external would make transition into job relatively smooth.
Cons: He says he isn’t running. Also, is an extremely polarizing figure on campus, due to his time in the AMS and his Liberal partisanship.

Jeremy McElroy
—Arts Rep.

Background: Elected AMS councilor in March 2009. AUS social coordinator from 2007–2008. Executive of Radical Beer Faction 2008–2009.
Vote on Censure Motion: Against censuring Frederick.
Status: Not running, but made a point of not ruling out running during the January elections.
Pros: Is well liked and non-partisan. Has campus experience both inside and outside of the AMS. Would be ideal for uniting Council.
Cons: Relatively limited AMS experience, which could make for a difficult transition. Is adverse to conflict, which occasionally means diplomacy is put ahead of real progress.
Full disclosure: McElroy lives with six editors of The Ubyssey, one of whom is his cousin, sports editor Justin McElroy. This may or may not improve the AMS’ communication strategy.

Michael Duncan
—BoG Rep.

Background: AMS president, 2008–2009. SUS president, 2007–2008. Current BoG member.
Vote on Censure Motion: Against censuring Frederick.
Status: Will vote against impeachment, but has said “If Council would like me to, I would run” for interim president.
Pros: Has been president before, so transition time would be minimal. Extremely well regarded by all sides of political spectrum on campus. Has refrained from criticism of Frederick’s reign, so would be able to stay “above the fray.”
Cons: Dual role as AMS president and BoG member could put him in conflict of interest—though past presidents have also served in dual roles. Unsure whether he wants the position or not, which could create difficulties, as the interim president will have to be proactive in mending AMS relationships.

FOR VP EXTERNAL

Matthew Naylor—See above.

Tahara Bhate
—Science Rep.

Background: AMS councilor, 2007–present. Long time representative on External Policy Committee. Academic Quality Committee, Code and Policy.
Vote on Censure Motion: Against censuring Frederick.
Status: Unknown.
Pros: Has dedicated more time to external issues than any other councilor except those who have been a VP external. Not seen as overly partisan—a tough thing to accomplish in what is generally a partisan portfolio.
Cons: Despite a long career on Council, there is a distinct lack of policies and initiatives directly tied to her name. Lack of executive experience.

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