::: PDP-MG Elections :::

AFRINIC POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS MODERATOR GROUP

ELECTIONS PROCEDURE AND TERMS OF REFERENCE

Election Process
According to the AfriNIC bylaws, and in line with an AfriNIC Board resolution, three (3) co-chairs for the AfriNIC Policy Development Process Moderator Group (PDP-MG) shall be elected. What follows is the elections procedure for the AfriNIC PDP-MG:

Preamble
This document defines the procedure to be followed by AfriNIC to conduct elections for the AfriNIC (PDP-MG). It does not supersede the bylaws and should be consistent with the bylaws in all aspects.

1. Call for Volunteers: PDP-MG Elections Committee

A "Call for Volunteers" to sit on the elections committee shall be made two (2) months prior to the
retirement of either of the PDP MG co-chairs. The current AfriNIC "Elections Committee members"
election procedure shall be followed. AfriNIC shall announce the election committee members two (2) weeks after the "Call for Volunteers". Expression for interest should be sent to ecom08[at]afrinic.net.

2. Call for Nominations

The procedure for the election of co-chairs for the AfriNIC PDP-MG shall be made in the following manner:

A "Calling for Candidates" will be made one (1) week after the Announcement of the Election Committee members. The candidate must meet at least one (1) of the following requirements:

- be an AfriNIC member
- be nominated by an AfriNIC member and belong to a country from the AfriNIC service area
- a person may only nominate one person. In case of multiple nominations by the same member, only the first nomination will be considered valid.
- AfriNIC staff cannot nominate candidates nor be nominated
- Self nominations are allowed
- The term for nomination of candidates, candidate’s acknowledgment, and fulfillment of other requirements detailed below is due two (2) weeks after the "call for nominations".
- As the nominations are being received, the candidates’ names will be published on the AfriNIC web site.

To nominate a candidate, please send an email with the subject: "Co-chairs of the AfriNIC Moderator Group" to mgcn[at]afrinic.net with the following information:

(a) Information of the Nominee:
- Nominee (Full Name):
- Organization name (or Affiliation):
- Position:
- E-mail address:
- Postal/Physical address:
- Phone number:
- Country of residence:
- Biographical information:

(b) Information of the Nominator:
- Motivation for nomination:
- Nominator’s Name:
- Organization:
- E-mail address:

If self-nominated, indicate "self" in section (b) above.

All confirmed nominations will be listed on AfriNIC´s website with biographical information.

 Seconding Candidates to the AfriNIC PDP-MG

Reference is made to the call for nominating candidates to the AfriNIC PDP-MG which closed on Wednesday 8th October 2008. The following persons were nominated:

* Paulos Nyirenda (Malawi)
* Haitham Zakaria El-Nakhal (Egypt)
* Vincent Ngundi (Kenya)

The PDP-MG elections procedure stipulates that for a candidate to run for the election, they must be seconded by at least one(1) person. The period for seconding candidates is now open. More information about the nominees can be found here

3. Seconding a Candidate

Seconding of nominations will be done within two (2) weeks after the "call for nominations". Only candidates who are seconded by at least one (1) people can run for the election.
Information about the nominated candidates (acknowledgment of nominations, seconding of nomination, candidates’ biographical information) will be published on the AfriNIC web site.

To second a nomination, please send a message to ecom08[at]afrinic.net with the subject: "Seconding Nomination - Co-chair of the AfriNIC Moderator Group" and with the following information:

Nominee’s name:
Name of supporting individual:
Organization:
E-mail address:

4. Review and Announcement of Nominations

The Elections Committee will review and announce qualified candidates within one (1) week after the closure of nominations and seconding of candidates. The names of candidates who qualify will be published on the AfriNIC web site and sent to the Resource Policy Discuss mailing list.

5. Election of the Co-chairs

The election of the co-chairs will be held within two (2) months after the call for candidates as follows:

• The election of the co-chairs of AfriNIC´s PDP-MG will be held within two (2) months after the call for candidates, during an AfriNIC Public Policy meeting.
• Casting of votes will be made through a ballot paper containing a list of the candidates’ names.
• People who are in the meeting room at the moment of the election will be allowed to vote if they meet the following conditions: have registered for the meeting, are from countries within AfriNIC´s service area and are not AfriNIC staff members.
• Voters may mark one (1) candidate in the ballot paper. Each mark will be equal to one vote. More than one mark on a ballot will result in the ballot becoming spoilt.
• Vote will be anonymous.
• A three-member-committee appointed (following the procedure for the election of "Election Committee members") before the Public Policy meeting will be in charge of counting the votes. No candidate or AfriNIC staff could be a member of this committee.
• Once the votes are counted, the person who has obtained the largest number of votes will be proclaimed co-chair of the AfriNIC PDP-MG for a period of 3 years. The other two co-chairs for a two (2) and one (1) year term will be the first and second runners-up respectively.
• In the case the vote is tied for any of the first three positions, then it will be cast again. Only the candidates who tied will participate on this second round of voting until either one of the candidates gets more votes.

To nominate a candidate, please send an email to ecom08[at]afrinic.net with the subject: "Co-chairs of the AfriNIC Moderator Group".

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Functions of the Co-chairs of the PDP-MG shall be:

- To conduct policy discussions during Public meetings.
- To conduct discussions at the Resource Policy Discuss List and the Policy Development - Process in general in conjunction with AfriNIC staff.
- To evaluate and suggest consensus in policy discussions.
- To suggest the finalization of the discussion on a specific subject at the Resource Policy - Discuss List.
- To summon the creation of Working Groups on the Resource Policy Discuss List.

About the Co-chairs of the PDP-MG:

- The Co-chairs of the PDP-MG shall not be part of AfriNIC staff.
- It's an Honorary position
- Elected at a Public Policy Meeting.
- Must be a member of AfriNIC OR be nominated by a member of AfriNIC and belong to a country from the AfriNIC service area
- Shall hold the position for either one, two or three years in line with the election procedures.
- May run for a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms.
- Shall hold a meeting (face-to-face or online) at least once before every public policy meeting.