AT THE time of writing, the students' union Independent Appeals Board in UCD had yet to meet to rule on whether or not an impeachment referendum on students' union president Loughlin Deegan can go ahead this Thursday.
Signatures have been submitted calling for the referendum on the general grounds of alleged "conduct unbecoming" to the president, a charge Deegan has vehemently rejected.
Under union rules, a referendum must be held not less than two weeks and not more than three weeks after the submission of the required signatures. The 600 signatures calling for the impeachment referendum were submitted to student election returning officer Ian Walsh late on the night of Thursday, February 22nd. Walsh was in attendance at a Law Society dinner at the time but accepted the signatures.
Those seeking Deegan's impeachment would favour this Thursday, the day of polling for sabbatical elections, to hold the impeachment referendum. Deegan has argued that this gives him insufficient time to prepare his case and that questions remain about the exact timing of the submission of signatures.
While the IAB will have to rule on the matter, representatives of both sides have already commenced campaigns and have applied for funds to the students' union, which provides limited funding for both sides in the event of a referendum campaign.
In the event of a successful impeachment, Deegan would be obliged to resign immediately although it is unclear how his vacant office would be filled. There is no provision for a by election in the UCD constitution and following the last impeachment of a sitting president in 1988 the entertainments officer was obliged to take over the position.
Deegan is believed to have the support of most of the students' union, with the obvious exception of the councillors who sought his impeachment, in addition to most of this year's sabbatical candidates. Interestingly, one of those involved in the collection of the signatures calling for the referendum has given indications that he wishes to withdraw the impeachment attempt.
