Moses insists she remains UWI Guild president despite recall vote

Senior Reporter

shane.superville@guardian.co.tt

One day after news broke that UWI Guild president Kirby Moses was recalled from the position, which was declared vacant, Moses is threatening that the “necessary authorities will be activated”.

Moses has questioned the legitimacy of a special general meeting held on September 13 which sought to end her appointment.

A source at the Guild told Guardian Media that a petition containing 229 signatures was presented at the meeting, followed by a vote which approved the petition to recall the position of president.

However, Moses described the meeting as “procedurally incorrect,” citing the petition section of the Guild’s constitution, which states that such meetings can only be convened by the president.

Responding to questions via WhatsApp yesterday morning, Moses, added the vote would be void, noting that the petition did not include key elements for it to be considered valid.

“What was presented to the student population was a skewed poll that directed students to abstain or vote for or against recall rather than one that followed the constitutional options for resolution of the petition.

“By not offering students the option of amendment as one of the fundamental resolutions, a critical choice was taken away from the voting population.

“To clarify, only the president can summon such a meeting and while I aimed to officially organise and summon the meeting, as is my constitutional duty, the applications I submitted to successfully summon the meeting were disregarded and the approvals to host the meeting on Friday (September 13),” she explained.

The meeting and petition to have Moses removed as president was the latest development in a fracture within the guild’s leadership.

The problems arose when Moses was accused of appointing her brother, Kemp Moses as the guild’s treasurer, following the resignation of Liam Mohammed earlier this year.

Despite Kemp Moses’ insistence that he was not appointed by his sister, a motion of no confidence was brought against her.

However, Moses refused to step down contending that the motion was a result of her calls to have the guild’s accounts audited.

In her WhatsApp response, Moses doubled down on her calls for greater transparency within the guild, adding that she felt the latest incidents were intended to victimise her.

“I feel like I have rocked the boat and asked questions that have made members of the administration realise that I am not as easily manipulated as they had hoped for me to be.

“I am not in the business of respectability politics and condoning wrongdoing as my silence would be my compliance in corrupted activity and as I have said before, I ran a clean campaign, I intend to lead a clean council,” Moses asserted.

She added that even if the guild’s executive is determined to have her removed, the constitution stipulates that she remain as president until an election is held.

Asked what her next course of action would be, Moses said she intended to take all reports to an ordinary general meeting to present to the student body, adding that other action was likely depending on what happens.

“If the administration continues to make hasty and suspicious power plays like threats of legal action if I continue telling truth of the financial oppression and disregard for the autonomy of student societies, at what is meant to be a student-centered university, the necessary authorities will be activated.”

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