<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
<div>
<div>
<div>Please thank you Monika.</div>
<div>
<div id="MAC_OUTLOOK_SIGNATURE"></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION">
<div style="font-family:Calibri; font-size:12pt; text-align:left; color:black; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #b5c4df 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 3pt">
<span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span>"Zalnieriute, Monika" <<a href="mailto:Monika.Zalnieriute@EUI.eu">Monika.Zalnieriute@EUI.eu</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span>Wednesday 24 August 2016 at 14:08<br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span>"<a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU">NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU</a>" <<a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU">NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU</a>>, James Gannon <<a href="mailto:james@cyberinvasion.net">james@cyberinvasion.net</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span>Re: By Laws Section 2.4.2.1 Appeal on the election process<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><style type="text/css" style="display:none;"><!-- P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} --></style>
<div dir="ltr">
<div id="divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-size:10pt;color:#000000;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Helvetica, Sans-Serif;">
<p>Hi James, </p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>I can also forward this info to Tapani, James,</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Call is happening now,</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Monika</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<div id="Signature">
<div id="divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-size:10pt; color:#000000; background-color:#FFFFFF; font-family:Helvetica,Sans-Serif">
<div name="divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:; margin:0">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font face="Helvetica,sans-serif" size="2" color="#808080">----</font></span></div>
<div style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font face="Helvetica,sans-serif" size="2" color="#808080"><br>
</font></span></div>
<div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font face="Helvetica,sans-serif" size="2" color="#808080">Dr. Monika Zalnieriute</font></span></div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt"><span style="color:gray; font-family:Helvetica; font-size:10pt"><br>
</span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt"><span style="color:gray; font-family:Helvetica; font-size:10pt">Melbourne Law School | The University of Melbourne I law.unimelb.edu.au I</span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0cm 0cm 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Helvetica; color:gray">Center for Media, Data and Society I Central European University
</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica; color:gray">I cmds.ceu.edu I </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10pt; font-family:Helvetica; color:gray">Executive Committee I Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group I ICANN I icann.org I
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Helvetica; color:gray">Z E P H I R O : Progressive Platform for Human Rights I zephiroplatform.org I</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Helvetica; color:gray">Centre for Internet & Human Rights I European University Viadrina I
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Helvetica; color:gray">cihr.eu I</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:13px">
<p style="margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px"><span style="color:rgb(117,123,128)"><br>
</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px"><br>
</p>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:13px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:13px"><font face="Helvetica" size="2"><br>
</font></div>
<div style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:13px"><font face="Helvetica" size="2"><br>
</font></div>
<div style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:13.63636302947998px"><br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<br>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<hr tabindex="-1" style="display:inline-block; width:98%">
<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri,sans-serif" color="#000000" style="font-size:11pt"><b>From:</b> NCSG-Discuss <<a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU">NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU</a>> on behalf of James Gannon <<a href="mailto:james@CYBERINVASION.NET">james@CYBERINVASION.NET</a>><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, August 24, 2016 1:07 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU">NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: By Laws Section 2.4.2.1 Appeal on the election process</font>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>Robin,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Can you please forward this response from Bill to the EC in response to Tapanis request for supporting information from the appellants.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>-James</div>
<div>
<div id=""></div>
</div>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION">
<div style="font-family:Calibri; font-size:12pt; text-align:left; color:black; border-bottom:medium none; border-left:medium none; padding-bottom:0in; padding-left:0in; padding-right:0in; border-top:#b5c4df 1pt solid; border-right:medium none; padding-top:3pt">
<span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span>NCSG-Discuss <<a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU">NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU</a>> on behalf of William Drake <<a href="mailto:wjdrake@GMAIL.COM">wjdrake@GMAIL.COM</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Reply-To: </span>William Drake <<a href="mailto:wjdrake@GMAIL.COM">wjdrake@GMAIL.COM</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span>Wednesday 24 August 2016 at 13:56<br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span>"<a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU">NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU</a>" <<a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU">NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span>Re: By Laws Section 2.4.2.1 Appeal on the election process<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<div class="" style="word-wrap:break-word">Hi
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">This discussion has gotten a little overheated and hydra-headed with stuff being thrown into the pot that distracts from the single issue in contention. Let’s not over-dramatize this, we’re not at war with each other, we don’t need to throw up
our hands or rewrite the whole NCSG charter because of this, etc. We just have a collegial disagreement on one thing, which is the interpretation of NOTA, and how this is determined, and we ought to be able to work it out together.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">Tapani’s dig through list archives was helpful, but a narrow reading of a few messages obscures more than enlightens. Yes, in 2011 when we were working out the charter, Avri did suggest at one point that for convenience we could just “skip” any
NOTA votes <a href="http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ncsg-discuss;73975b96.1110" class="">
http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ncsg-discuss;73975b96.1110</a>. But in same message, she also agreed with Dan that NOTA "gets treated as a kind of additional candidate itself,” and that, "Voting for 'none of the above' is explicit and is counted."
Similarly, in a subsequent message <a href="http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind1110&L=ncsg-discuss&D=0&P=118428" class="">http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind1110&L=ncsg-discuss&D=0&P=118428</a> she repeats, "As you said 'none' is just
one 'candidate' among the others. Nothing fancy. No cancellation of a person's vote.” Nobody disagreed, so that was it, the shared interpretation was that NOTA is an individual candidate, and that ticking NOTA doesn’t cancel one’s votes for all candidates.
Her ‘skipping’ suggest never became relevant, as we didn’t imagine NOTA ever beating anyone, so the idea wasn’t discussed further. </div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">We never had any reason to revisit and reinterpret the meaning of NOTA. Hence, when Robin and Rafik chaired, they too operated on the same assumptions—it’s a candidate, it is counted, and it does not cancel out any other votes cast, just like
in many other elections around the world. And it wasn’t just the chairs who thought this, it was the other members who have been actually involved in doing the substantive work of NCSG, the kind of people signed the hastily assembled appeal letter, all of
whom have been in fairly constant communication with each other in the years since. So there has in fact been a shared understanding, which is reflected in the chair’s Monday letter about "NCSG's Longstanding Interpretation of NOTA.” <a href="http://mailman.ipjustice.org/pipermail/ec-ncsg/2016-August/001083.html" class="">http://mailman.ipjustice.org/pipermail/ec-ncsg/2016-August/001083.html</a>
That subsequent ballots did not explain the meaning anew each time NOTA was included, and that in 2013 NOTA somehow got left off the ballot, is in retrospect rather unfortunate, but then we never imagined a controversy over the matter. Either way, these
oversights <b class="">do not in any way</b> mean that the chairs and others did not know what NOTA meant, or that they did not believe what they say they believed and would not have acted accordingly if NOTA had ever won, which it didn't. I am absolutely
astonished that anyone would question whether the chairs’ statements about their understandings was “accurate,” especially people who were not involved and doing any of this work. It is more than a little presumptuous. The chairs and other deeply involved
colleagues are not slow, confused children.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">It is in this context that we were all rather taken aback when Tapani unilaterally announced without warning a completely opposite interpretation of NOTA:</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">
<blockquote type="cite" class="">
<div class="">On Aug 22, 2016, at 15:58, Tapani Tarvainen <<a href="mailto:ncsg@tapani.tarvainen.info" class="">ncsg@tapani.tarvainen.info</a>> wrote:</div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
<div class=""><span class="" style="float:none; display:inline!important">If you want to vote for any candidates for council you cannot</span><br class="">
<span class="" style="float:none; display:inline!important">simultaneously vote for NOTA. If you do, your ballot will be</span><br class="">
<span class="" style="float:none; display:inline!important">considered invalid.</span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="">
<div class=""><span class="" style="float:none; display:inline!important"><br class="">
</span></div>
</div>
<div class="">and added,</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">
<blockquote type="cite" class="">
<div class="">On Aug 22, 2016, at 18:33, Tapani Tarvainen <<a href="mailto:ncsg@tapani.tarvainen.info" class="">ncsg@tapani.tarvainen.info</a>> wrote:</div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
<div class=""><span class="" style="float:none; display:inline!important">I do see some people want to be able to cast negative votes so to</span><br class="">
<span class="" style="float:none; display:inline!important">speak and think NOTA is the way it could be done, but I don't agree</span><br class="">
<span class="" style="float:none; display:inline!important">with that.</span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="">
<div class=""><span class="" style="float:none; display:inline!important"><br class="">
</span></div>
</div>
<div class="">I’m sorry, but with all due respect it is not the prerogative of the chair to decide by himself without any consultation that the way we have done things since 2011 is no good anymore simply because it wasn’t all spelled out and tidy in prior
ballots. If the argument is “well there’s nothing formally written that says NOTA means X,” how can that be interpreted as a mandate for the chair to decide without discussion that it now means Y? I cannot understand this thinking, nor can I recall another
instance in the history of NCSG and NCUC (no idea about NPOC) where the chair took it upon himself to “overrule” people and impose his/her own preferences. We are volunteers who are here to be coordinated and facilitated, not ruled. </div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">The Charter says </div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">2.1 The NCSG chair is responsible for carrying out the executive functions of the NCSG
<b class="">under the NCSG-EC's oversight</b> according to ICANN, GNSO and NCSG mission and principles.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">2.4.2. By default <b class="">NCSGEC decisions are made by full consensus
</b>of all NCSGEC members. Full consensus means that no NCSGEC members have objected to the proposed decision. Any exception to this default will be approved by the NCSGEC on a full consensus basis.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">4.2 All NCSG votes will be held using an online <b class="">voting system to be determined, approved and supervised by the NCSG EC</b></div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">The Charter is crystal clear here. These things did not happen before the ballot was sent out and must happen now, full stop. Especially if the meaning of the ballot is to be changed.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">Finally, it’s been asked why does the appeal letter refer to a “flawed ballot” when, as Kathy has noted, the ballot <span class="" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">this year and last year were essentially the same. The answer is that
the ballot is currently flawed due to the interpretation given it by the chair, which is contrary to past practice and has caused confusion. But t</span>here is a simple solution that would not require a new ballot be designed and sent:</div>
<div class="">
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">
<div>
<blockquote type="cite" class="">
<div class="">On Aug 23, 2016, at 21:09, Robin Gross <<a href="mailto:robin@ipjustice.org" class="">robin@ipjustice.org</a>> wrote:</div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
<div class="">
<div class="" style="font-family:Verdana; font-size:18px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px">
If we can accept the definition of NOTA as explained by Avri, Rafik, and myself, who were the previous EC Chairs and were involved in the drafting of the charter, an interpretation which provides members REAL choice, not merely symbolic gestures in our elections,
we probably don’t need to redo the ballots for this year, and we can just continue with the understanding those candidates who receive less votes than NOTA are not elected this year. So we can fix our ballots for next year, but use the NOTA interpretation
which restores the right of members to approve (or not) of the candidates for this year.</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<br class="">
<div class="">
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
All we need is for the Chair to accept that as there was no EC agreement to the contrary, the long-standing interpretation of NOTA stands. Anyone who wants to revote in light of this clarification can do so by going to the URL they received. Subsequently,
the EC can propose whatever language it wants in order to clarify NOTA for the next election. </div>
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
<br class="">
</div>
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
Please let’s get out of this downward spiral, which absolutely did not have to happen. It is not going to affect the outcome of the vote as it’s very unlikely anyone would actually lose to NOTA, but people do need to be able to express their preferences in
an election.</div>
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
<br class="">
</div>
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
Thanks</div>
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
<br class="">
</div>
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
Bill</div>
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
<br class="">
</div>
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
<br class="">
</div>
<div class="" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; orphans:auto; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; widows:auto; word-spacing:0px; word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="">
<div class="" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="" style="word-wrap:break-word"><br class="">
*************************************************************<br class="">
William J. Drake<br class="">
International Fellow & Lecturer<br class="">
Media Change & Innovation Division, IPMZ<br class="">
University of Zurich, Switzerland<br class="">
<a href="mailto:william.drake@uzh.ch" class="">william.drake@uzh.ch</a> (direct), <a href="mailto:wjdrake@gmail.com" class="">wjdrake@gmail.com</a> (lists),<br class="">
<a href="http://www.williamdrake.org" class="">www.williamdrake.org</a><br class="">
*************************************************************</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 14">
<meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 14">
<link rel="File-List" href="eui%20footer_files/filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="eui%20footer_files/themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="eui%20footer_files/colorschememapping.xml"><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style>
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#595959"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#595959">The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination,
distribution, forwarding, or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited without the express permission of the sender. If you received this communication in
error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</span>
</body>
</html>