News

OUSA will get to indulge its by-election fetish one more time, after Ruby Sycamore-Smith emerged victorious in the Welfare Officer contest. Since Ruby has now resigned her current position as Campaigns Officer in order to take up the welfare position, there will be another by-election. Bliss.

Ruby defeated Golda Matthias by a narrow margin of 222 to 207, with 22 no confidence votes. Meanwhile, Keir Russell won the Postgraduate Officer by-election with 63 votes. 21 picky postgrads voted no confidence.

Ruby ran on a platform of improving student flats, while Golda ran on women’s issues and opposition to the liquor ban. Ruby was magnanimous after her win, telling Critic that the tight margin showed that she and Golda were “both capable candidates.” She hoped that Golda would consider sitting on the Welfare Committee, but somewhat undermined these sentiments by referring to her as “Glodia.”

For her part, Golda was keeping positive. “I should have campaigned harder, but I spent my last ten bucks on booze instead of posters. No regrets.” Although she was “considering” running for Campaigns Officer, she said “I’m going to have to wait until more than 30 minutes have passed after losing this election before I make a decision like that.” In the meantime, she would be “getting drunk and watching Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”

Keir was relieved to have beaten back the faceless menace of No Confidence, telling Critic, “I’ve got a lot of ideas I’m looking forward to working on.” Asked if there was anybody in the Executive he was particularly looking forward to working with, Keir went with the obvious choice. “I’m definitely looking forward to working with Fran,” he said. “He’s an interesting character and he’s got a lot of great ideas.” Cute.

Nominations for the Campaigns Officer by-election open 9am Wednesday 20 March and close 4pm Thursday 21 March. Voting will run from 9am-4pm Thursday 28 March. Critic detects an undercurrent of pissed-offness in the brief windows OUSA has set, and intends to bring back the greatly-missed No Confidence sock puppet to torment candidates’ dreams and force yet another by-election.