ASUW Senate leadership in doubt

During last night's ASUW Student Senate meeting, a move for a vote of confidence was proposed regarding Senate Chair Hala Dillsi, followed by identical action directed at Senate Vice Chair Mikhail Smirnov.

The move comes on the heels of accusations of failure on Dillsi's part to call for quorum in regard to an expansion of the Student Conduct Code.

A move to a vote of confidence means the next time the Senate convenes, both officers in question will be put to a vote to determine whether or not they will retain their positions. If the officers fail to garner a simple majority vote in their respective favors, they must resign immediately.

"I felt that our chair had been derelict in her duty, and hasn't upheld the responsibilities she's been given by the senate constitution," said Gary Stute, a commuter senator who motioned for Dillsi's vote.

Dillsi feels the matter is based in personal preference.

"I think honestly that this is more of a matter of stylistic differences and personal politics than anything else," said Dillsi. "This is the first time this has come up. My door is always open, [and] I have always offered to let people voice their concerns."

While Smirnov supported the move to a vote for Dillsi, he was surprised by the action leveled at him.

"I did not expect it, nor have I so far been told a single problem with the way I do my job," he said. "Nobody brought up any concerns to me ... like they had with Hala. [However], if Senate doesn't want me doing this job then I shouldn't be doing it."

Senator Chris Paredes motioned for Smirnov's vote.

"I think the reasons for calling a vote of no confidence on Hala were a lot of the same reasons for a vote of no confidence on Mikhail," he said. "He's failed to maintain neutrality on some of these issues. I think it's important to hold all leadership accountable."

Paredes noted that he would not, however, support a vote against Dillsi.

Stute believes the move against Smirnov was strictly retaliatory.

"I think it was kind of bad form that [Dillsi's] supporters tried to target [Smirnov]," Stute said. "I've never heard anyone complain about the job he's doing."

Stute said complaints brought to his attention by numerous people about Dillsi's performance include impartiality, intimidation, closed mindedness and tabulation fraud.

"I hope she gets removed, but even if all it does is gets these issues in the air and the Senate will be better off and better run, that's really what I hope for," said Stute.

Andrew Everett, a senator who moved to put both officers to a vote, said this move was inevitable.

"I'm not surprised by this, and anybody who's been involved in the Senate and the ASUW in general could see that there was going to be some form of showdown," he said.

While Everett said he has his qualms with both officers, he doesn't plan to vote for the removal of either.

"With present information, I plan to vote to retain them both," he said. "I think if either gets discharged, both will be discharged. If one is voted out, there will be a backlash, and if neither [is], tensions will run extremely high in the Senate. I think that you're going to see that it's going to jam up."

Everett voiced his concern about ASUW as a whole in response to this.

"I am fundamentally concerned by the current situation," he said. "I'm very concerned that regardless of the outcome ... the association is going to disintegrate into uselessness. There will be so much enmity and such a visceral dislike of people that afterwards you'll end up with a student body divided."

Reporter Kass Bessert contributed to this story.

Reach reporter Jeff Tripoli at newsasst@thedaily.washington.edu.