Alex Kvaskov | Contributor
Elisa Alloul, third-year psychology and public administration student, has won the Board of Governors, or BoG, election with 800 votes out of a total of 1,947 cast.
Her two-year term as the representative for undergraduate students on York’s top decision making body starts July 1.
The election results were ratified by the Student Senator Caucus, or SSC, on April 1 and Alloul’s appointment as the Student Nominee to the Board of Governors was approved by BoG at its May 3 meeting, according to Sayjon Ariyarathnam the chief returning officer overseeing the election.
The election was seen in some quarters as a turf war between pro- and anti-divestment factions in York student politics.
Alloul says it is inaccurate and unproductive to portray the election as being primarily about the issue of divestment.
“Having interacted with many students during the election, the subject did not come up,” she adds.
“I am someone who is very devoted to a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians,” says Alloul.
“This is why I oppose any political agenda that contributes to the mistrust and conflict between the two sides.”
“I am also a student who believes in academic freedom and fostering mutual respect between diverse communities on campus. I see efforts to boycott and isolate Israelis collectively as destructive and contrary to these values.”
Election results were communicated to BoG through the office of the University Secretary and General Counsel, according to Maureen Armstrong, university secretariat.
Tashwiq Khan came second with 496 votes, Sebastien Lalonde had 286 votes, SAIA-endorsed Haman Mamdouhi managed 193 votes and Mohammed Barry placed last with 172 votes.
Some 55,650 York students were eligible to vote in this election, amounting to a turnout of 3.5 per cent.
The election was marred with irregularities and allegations of bribery, following Maharshi Jani’s withdrawal from the race.
Moreover, a videotape of an alleged bribery incident between candidates was confirmed by Janice Walls of York media.
