UJ student council candidates face off

By Rand Dalgamouni

AMMAN - Amidst prevailing apathy over the University of Jordan (UJ) student union elections, candidates squared off over issues of concern to students in a debate on Monday.

In four rounds, 11 candidates faced off at the UJ faculty of foreign languages, debating UJ lecture attendance regulations, restrictions on social network websites on campus computers, methods to curb university violence and the role of the student union.

While many candidates acknowledged that the student union is losing its influence on campus, they pledged that they will focus on providing services for students.

Other candidates said that they will request changes in the union’s bylaw to grant it actual power in decision making. According to its bylaw, the union can currently only relay students’ demands to the university administration.

French language student Razan Amad, one of the students who organized the debates, said the goal of the event was to help voters learn more about candidates’ programs and personalities.

Although well attended, the organizer said she did not expect the debates to dissuade voters from voting along tribal lines.

“We did what we could, but at the end of the day, I don’t think people who vote for their tribe will vote for the candidate with the best program,” Amad told The Jordan Times following the debates.

Amad voiced hope that the debates will spur a culture of respect for differing opinions, but admitted that she did not expect such a culture to emerge any time soon after the third debate was canceled following a heated exchange among supporters of candidates from the European languages department.

“Some of these people have never heard of the concept of accepting other opinions. What happened today is one of many indicators,” she said.

Fourth-year student Hazar Kreishan, also an organizer, said she found a silver lining in the debates.

“I think the debates showed students the true side of their candidates. Some students changed their vote after seeing the debates,” she said.

She stressed that although some participants exhibited little respect for the opinions of others, the event fulfilled its goals of providing a platform for voters to learn more about the candidates and issues.

This week’s polls will mark the third since the administration of the 40,000-student university decided to make the student body fully elected, after appointing half of the union members and speaker in the previous seven years.

The UJ student union election, in which 408 candidates are competing, will be held on Thursday.

21 December 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32806.