“It is the responsibility of all right-thinking parents to ensure that only those candidates are elected who can contribute to the academic uplift of the institution,” said Parveen Rasheed whose husband, the late Rasheeduz Zafar, played a key role in the school’s establishment in the early 1980s. “They should go out and vote for the best,” she said.
Mir Shahnawaz Ali Khan, who was also among the school’s founders, said the community should not vote for “rubber-stamp” candidates. “Only those who have the ability to protect the interests of the community should be the preferred ones,” he told Arab News from Chicago, United States.
Mukarram Ali Khan, a well-known alumnus of the Aligarh Muslim University, exhorted parents to take full advantage of the elections and vote for academics. He, however, did express his disappointment at the rampant regionalism that the election campaign has promoted.
“Dividing the community on regional lines is not a good sign at all,” he said. “I have my reservations about such an exercise … yes, democracy is all good, but only when the electors are intelligent enough to think beyond regional and linguistic boundaries.”
Outgoing Chairman John Thomas called on parents to play a proactive role in the process. “Listen to your conscience and vote for those who will build on the good work that our committee has done in these past three years,” he said.
Former Chairman Dr. Mumtaz Ali Khan appealed to the parents to reject candidates with vested interests. “Those who are out to make money from the school’s coffers should be voted out,” he said. “This is the opportunity for the parents to stand up and be counted in the larger interests of the school.”
Shoaib A. Quraishi of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals urged eligible voters to come out in large numbers. “Elections are important, let the parents have their say through their votes. I am against the formation of any panels, but I understand that it is a precedent that just cannot be wished away. I can only appeal to the candidates to rise above regionalism.”
A seven-time member of the school committee, Jaweed Yazdani, a talented IT manager at KFUPM, felt that parents must participate in larger numbers with a view to electing the right representatives.
“These elections provide an important platform for parents to ensure that the right candidates with proper academic credentials, clear vision and dedication are chosen to serve our school,” he said. “It is important for the parents to carefully review the academic qualifications of the candidates before casting their vote.”
T.P.M. Fazal, a committed advocate of parent-teacher dialogue, said: “We expect the parents to vote for those who will enhance and strengthen cooperation and coordination between the school and the parents.”
According to a release issued by Principal E.K. Mohammed Shaffe yesterday, all preparations are complete. Polling will take place today at the IISD Boys Section in Dammam’s Al-Raka district from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There are 18 candidates in the race for seven seats.
“Observers from the Ministry of Education and the Indian Embassy will ensure that the whole process is fair and transparent,” the release added.
There are 7,500 voters. The entire list and all relevant details about the voting procedures are available on the school’s website at www.iisdammam.edu.sa/circulars.asp.
