ISPAF calls for democratic IISJ elections

JEDDAH: Some parents at the International Indian School in Jeddah (IISJ) appealed to school authorities to move the June 20 management committee elections to another date after the summer holidays and to first address issues that had been raised.
“The election process has been totally undemocratic and unacceptable to the parent community,” said Nasar Chavakkad, general secretary of Indian School Parents Forum, citing disqualification of efficient candidates on “silly reasons.”
Speaking to Arab News, he said the election was announced on the brink of closing the school for summer holidays. “The time given for presenting nominations and submitting required documents was inadequate,” he added.
Although 21 potential candidates, including bankers, academics and business executives, had submitted their nominations, only nine of them were declared qualified to contest the poll. According to the principal, others had failed to fulfill the required conditions.
“When the final list of candidates was announced last Wednesday, it was totally disappointing because the election had become selection,” said Chavakad.
“We don’t understand what is the purpose of this election? The authorities have already selected nine; seven for the committee and two reserve members. If this is the election procedure why the 5,000 parents should waste their valuable time to caste the votes on a working day leaving their offices,” he asked.
He also noted that candidates who are well known in the community as a result of their social works have been eliminated from the list. “This election does not augur well for an institution that belongs to the world’s biggest democracy,” Chavakkad said. He said ISPAF officials had conveyed the parents’ concern to the consul general.
IISJ Principal Syed Masood Ahmed on Monday said the election would be held as scheduled as he denied charges of malpractices in shortlisting candidates. He appealed to parents not to turn the school into a political arena.
“There is no plan to postpone the process as demanded by some disgruntled candidates whose applications have been rejected for failing to fulfill necessary conditions set by authorities,” he said.