Ash Sangha, The Oxford Union Treasurer- Elect, has narrowly avoided forced resignation of his position. His response has prompted investigation into two serious governance issues within the Union.
Firstly, the Union is investigating a “disparity” in Consultative Committee meeting minutes, which some suspect may be the result of foul play. The minutes of the 3rd Week Consultative Committee meeting were allegedly altered between the meeting itself and their ratification.
A second enquiry surrounds the validity of Standing Committee meetings. These are believed to have been improperly called, thus calling into question all motions passed at the meetings. These investigations have been brought to light as Ash Sangha, Union Treasurer-Elect, was deemed to have resigned due to his absence from too many meetings.
Union rules stipulate that if three ordinary meetings of any Committee are missed the member is deemed to have resigned their position. Sangha has been absent from three Consultative Committee meetings and three Standing Committee meetings this term.
When his absences from Consultative Committee were investigated it became apparent that there was a disparity between the original minutes which highlighted that his nonattendance was extraordinary, and those that were ratified, where his absence was noted as “not extraordinary”.
The minutes were altered after the Secretary of the Committee, Adi Balachander, passed them to the new Chair. James Dray, Union President commented, “I am currently investigating this issue, which may well be one of the worst cases of fraud to prevent an officer from continuing in his role that the Union has ever seen. If it is proven that anyone deliberately changed the minutes this will be taken to the highest disciplinary committee of the Union.”
In a further development, his absence at three Standing Committees was excused as he demonstrated that the meetings were improperly called by the Secretary, Lou Stoppard. Meetings are supposed to be called by email by the Secretary with at least 48 hours notice, and none of the three were.
As a result, the authenticity of these Standing Committee meetings has been called into question. This has potentially serious consequences for all motions passed in the meetings this term, which includes some large budgetary decisions. A number of members have been angered by the decision to allow Sangha to retain his position over a technicality.
However, Dray has noted that Sangha missed two meetings in order to fulfil his role as Treasurer- Elect, as he was delivering termcards and helping to host the President of Ecuador, and that these were excusable absences. Ash Sangha has been denied the opportunity to comment by the Union.
One concerned member of Standing Committee commented, “This emphasizes that the major problems of Standing Committee are incompetence and inexperience. A number of members are very angry and concerned at the potentially jeopardised situation this has left the Union in.”
