The Post-Graduate Students’ Society’s (PGSS) Chief Returning Officer (CRO) Ali Ekber Cinar announced the withdrawal of seven out of nine of the election candidates for the upcoming PGSS executive election. The election, scheduled from March 24 to April 7, has still run with only two uncontested candidates on the ballot—Ansley Gnanapragasam for Financial Affairs Officer and Cindy Garcia for University Affairs Officer.
In accordance with the Society Activities Manual (SAM), which governs the PGSS election process, candidates were withdrawn from the election due to SAM 9.11.6, which specifies that candidates must send a list of all campaign expenses to the CRO within 24 hours of polls opening. In a written statement to The Tribune, Cinar explained that candidates who did not submit their disclosure were required to withdraw. Cinar also explained that he was unable to grant an extension for candidates to submit their expenses as regulated by the SAM.
“The [SAM] outlines, ‘If no submission of expenditures or declaration that spending did not exceed [$5 CAD] is received by the PGSS within [24] hours of the polls opening the candidate or referendum committee shall be required to withdraw from the election by the Chief Returning Officer,’” he wrote. “Candidates were informed about this requirement, and those who did not submit their disclosure were therefore required to withdraw in accordance with the Society Activities Manual.”
Sheheryar Ahmed, the sole candidate running for the 2025-26 Secretary General position, was one of the withdrawn candidates. In an interview with The Tribune, Ahmed explained that the mass withdrawal of candidates took him by surprise.
“In this case, the decision taken by the [CRO] was quite shocking. It feels like an attempt to observe the rules to the letter rather than interpret their spirit,” Ahmed said.
According to Ahmed, candidates were informed about SAM 9.11.3 on Feb. 24. However, based on his own research into the SAM’s guidelines, he believed that the clauses were not appropriately applied. The SAM 9.11.7 specifies that “Any candidate or Chairperson, or any person acting on their behalf or suasion, who willfully violates the provisions of this section shall be withdrawn from the election or referendums.”
Amina Bourai was among the candidates who were withdrawn after failing to submit their disclosure, despite not spending any money on her campaign. In an interview with The Tribune, Bourai expressed a similar concern about the CRO’s implementation of the SAM.
“The first thing that caught my attention [SAM 9.11.7] is the part where it says ‘willfully,’” Bourai said. “I would have […] stopped and wondered, ‘Did seven people out of nine really go about and maliciously decide to hide that we haven’t spent any money?’”
Cinar could not be reached in time for publication regarding SAM 9.11.7’s “willful intent” application.
Bourai explained that she had promptly responded to the request for confirmation about her expenditure disclosure, yet she still faced withdrawal due to the strict 24-hour deadline.
“He sent the email March 25 […] at 7:18, and I sent him the email declaring that I had not spent any money at 7:27, so it was not even 10 minutes,” Bourai said.
For Ahmed, this PGSS election marked increased democratic participation within the graduate student body. The mass withdrawals have illustrated a slowdown in momentum and the potential dangers of vacant positions.
Cinar has submitted a timeline proposal that aims to conclude the process for a by-election for the remaining executive positions before the current executive committee’s term ends on May 31, 2025, to ensure no vacancies. However, he explained that the final authority to approve the by-election process lies within the PGSS Council.
Several candidates submitted contestations of the CRO’s decision for review. According to Ahmed, withdrawn candidates were told that the Elections Committee would meet on April 2 to discuss the contestations. However, the next day, they were informed that the Judicial Board, which currently hosts three out of three vacant seats, had to make this decision.
“We’re basically in hope that the appointment board will fill the Judicial Board by the [council] meeting on April 9, so that the appointments can be ratified and the decision can be made in a timely manner,” Ahmed said.
