ELECTION CODE of the NATIONAL FEDERATION of JUNIOR PHILIPPINE INSTITE OF ACCOUNTANTS ACCOUNTANTS (NF-JPIA) (NF -JPIA)
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS ELECTIONS for the FEDERATION YEAR 2014-2015 Be with enacted by the Supreme Student Parliament in session assembled:
ARTICLE I. – GENERAL GENERAL PROVISIONS SECTION 1. Title. This Code shall be known as the Election Code of the National Federation of Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants Executive Officers for the Federation Year 2014-2015. SECTION 2. Applicability. – This Code shall govern the election of National Federation of Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants Executive Officers for the Federation Year 2014-2015. SECTION 3. Obligations to Vote. – It It shall be the obligation of one (1) bona fide authorized membermemberrepresentative per attending NF JPIA-recognized Local Chapter, one (1) Regional Executive Officerrepresentative per Regional Council, and every incumbent NFJPIA Executive Officer, to cast his vote. SECTION 4.
Objectives. – The – The objectives of this code shall be:
a. To establish standard procedures for application and admission as aspirants for the next set of National Executive Executive Officers; b. To define the necessary requirements including the documents that shall be submitted by the aspirants for the National Executive Officers; responsibilities and duties of the applicants; applicants; c. To define the rights, responsibilities
d. To provide guidelines in the conduct of the orderly election; SECTION 5. as follows:
For the purpose of this Code, the following terms shall be defined Definition of Terms. – For
a. National Federation of Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants Accountants Executive Officers (NF JPIA EOs). This shall refer to the duly constituted national governing governing body of all JPIA Entities around the Philippines, excluding those Local Chapters who failed to submit membership requirements and failed to achieve recognition. b. NF JPIA EOs Elections Elections - This shall shall refer to elections for all positions positions in the the NF JPIA, JPIA, namely: namely: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
President Secretary General (to be appointed by the National President) Vice President for Academics Vice President for Non – Non – Academics Academics Vice President for Membership Vice President for Finance
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Vice President for Audit Vice President for Media and Documentation Vice President for Communications – NCR Vice President for Communications – Luzon Vice President for Communications – Visayas Vice President for Communications – Mindanao
c. COMELEC - This shall refer to the body separate and distinct from the NFJPIA Eos, composed of five (5) commissioners, two (2) of which representing the National Capital Region, and one (1) each from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, tasked to supervise and conduct the NFJPIA EO Elections.
ARTICLE II. – THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS SECTION 1.
Composition of COMELEC. – The COMELEC shall be composed of five (5)
commissioners, two (2) of which shall come from the National Capital Region (NCR), and (1) each from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. SECTION 2.
Appointments of the Members of the COMELEC – The National Executive Officers
shall appoint a Chairman, a Vice Chairman and National Commissioner of the COMELEC during the 3rd Executive Board Meeting. SECTION 3.
Powers and Functions of the COMELEC. – The COMELEC shall supervise and
conduct the electoral process of the National Executive Officers in an orderly and peaceful manner. In addition to the powers and functions conferred upon it by the Constitution, the Commission shall have exclusive charge of the enforcement and administration of all laws relative to the conduct of elections for the purpose of ensuring free, orderly, and honest elections, and shall:
a. have the sole power to decide on matters concerning protests filed against any member of the National COMELEC and the decisions of the aforesaid are final and executory; b. rule on any decision to be deemed subject to monitoring of the National Executive Officers upon the query of the Regional Council representatives and their decision shall be made superior to that of the Regional Council representatives.; c. shall decide on the date, time, and place of election of the next National Executive Officers coordination with the incumbent National Executive Officers ;' d. be given the power to design procedures concerning the special elections provided that it does not violate the Constitution and By-Laws of the organization;
e. organize a Miting de Avance at a specified date set by the Executive Board; f. be the duty of the COMELEC to conduct election in an efficient and effective manner;
g. conduct an election based on established procedures duly promulgated by the COMELEC and for which the same shall be circulated by the COMELEC at least one (1) month prior to the date of the Election day; h. be the sole judge of all election protests that shall include objections to the qualification of the aspirants, protest on the conduct of the election campaign, casting of votes, canvassing of votes, canvassing of election returns, and violation of rules and regulations. i.
report the result of the election to all recognized members of the NFJPIA;
SECTION 4. Positions and Functions. – The COMELEC shall have the following field offices with their respective functions:
a. Chairperson 1. calls and presides over meetings of members of the COMELEC; 2. acts as official representative of the COMELEC. 3. Formulates the guidelines for the conduct of the NF JPIA EOs Election. b. Vice Chairperson 1. performs the duties of the Chairman as a whole or in representation; 2. assists the Chairman in his duties; and 3. performs such other duties as the Chairman may from time to time impose upon his office. c. Secretary 1. keeps records of all the minutes and activities of the COMELEC; 2. keeps an account of all official records of the COMELEC; 3. performs such other duties as the Chairman may from time to time impose upon his office; d. Regional Council Commissioner 1. Acts as the COMELEC’s representative of the region represented 2. Tasked to ensure information dissemination to the Regional Councils and Local Chapter in jurisdiction of such Regional Council 3. Serve as the bridge between the COMELEC and the Regional Councils with regards to information transfer such as announcements, questions, protest and other forms information needed to be communicated. SECTION 5. Qualification of Members of the COMELEC. – A member of the COMELEC must:
a. be a bona fide member of NFJPIA for the current federation year;
b. not be a graduating student; c. not be involved in any partisan political activity; d. not be candidates nor shall run for any elective position in the NF JPIA EOs Election.
ARTICLE III. – ELECTION OF NFJPIA EOs SECTION 1. Composition. The NF JPIA EOs shall be composed of: 1. President 2. Secretary General 3. Vice President for Academics 4. Vice President for Non – Academics 5. Vice President for Membership 6. Vice President for Finance 7. Vice President for Audit 8. Vice President for Media and Documentation 9. Vice President for Communications – NCR 10. Vice President for Communications – Luzon 11. Vice President for Communications – Visayas 12. Vice President for Communications – Mindanao SECTION 2. Regular Elections of the NF JPIA EOs. – The regular election for the NF JPIA EOs shall be held during the Annual National Convention or within the last week of April, 2014. The President elect and the Vice - Presidents elect shall assume office upon taking oath of office. Each Candidate may only run for 1 position only. SECTION 3. Special Elections. – If after the declaration of the winners, should there be any unfilled office in the NFJPIA EOs, a special election shall be called for by the COMELEC.
If after the declaration of the winners, should there be any unfilled office in the NFJPIA EOs, a special election shall be called for by the COMELEC immediately following the Regular Elections. SECTION 4. Term of Office. – The term of office of the duly elected NF JPIA EOs officials shall end on the day the new set of NFJPIA EOs members have taken their oath. SECTION 5. End of Tenure. – The term of office of any incumbent NFJPIA EOs official shall automatically terminate for any of the causes specified hereunder:
a. upon death, sickness, resignation or inability to fulfill the powers and duties of the said office; b. upon disqualification from re - enrolment for any semester during the school year of his term for academic reasons, provided that automatic termination shall take effect only upon official written notice from the Dean or Chairman of his College or Department; c. upon his receipt of the official written notice issued by competent college/university authority of any of the following: 1. honorable dismissal 2. suspension for more than one month 3. expulsion
d. upon failure to re - enroll for any semester during his term. SECTION 6. Filling of Vacancy. – Vacancies arising from the above mentioned causes shall be filled in the following manner:
a. For Vacancies happening within the first three months of the term: a. If at the time fixed for the beginning of, the term of the President, the president-elect shall have died or is incapacitated; the Vice- President for Academics shall automatically assume the office of the President. b. The newly-elected EOs shall be given the power to appoint the new VP for Academics, subject to the provisions of Article VIII of this Code. c.
b.
The Vacancy of any Vice Presidential will be filled by the Candidate garnering the 2 highest votes during the NF JPIA EOs Election 2014.
nd
For Vacancies happening after the first three month of the term: a. Any Vacancy will be filled by the Appointment of the President and approved by 2/3 vote by of the Vice Presidents.
ARTICLE IV. QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES SECTION 1. Qualifications for Presidency and Vice – Presidency. – A candidate for Presidency and Vice-Presidency must:
a. be a bona fide member of NFJPIA and his/her Regional Council and Local Chapter must be recognized and accredited by the National Federation for at least one (1) year; b. be enrolled for the current semester (2nd semester 2013-2014); c. be an accounting major/accounting-related course student with good moral character; d. not have a failing grade with a maximum of 6 units non professional subject buffer; e.
not hold any major or executive position in any organization for the next federation year;
f.
submit the following requirements: 1. Duly accomplished Application Form for candidacy given by the COMELEC in soft copy 2. Comprehensive resume containing summary of leadership positions and trainings in any organization in soft copy. 3. Endorsement of the incumbent Regional Council President and/or Adviser of the aspirant’s respective region 4. Certificate of Good Moral Character from the Office of the Registrar and/or Office of the Prefect of Discipline 5. Certificate of grades or temporary transcript of record (certified true copy and signed by the Dean) 6. Two (2) wallet size pictures with white background in corporate attire (colored) in soft copy. 7. Certification from the Office of the Student Affairs that the student is not holding any major position in the candidate’s respective college/university 8. Two (2) endorsements from the National Federation Executive Officers before the pre panel interview
g. have attended at least one (1) major activity of the National Federation h. have had at least one (1) year experience working as a Local Chapter Officer, Regional Council Officer, National Federation Standing Committee or Working Committee. i. have considerable knowledge of the Constitution and By-Laws and Implementing Rules and Regulations of the National Federation.
SECTION 2. Disqualification. Any candidate who, declared by final decision by the COMILEC, guilty of having:
a.
given money or other material consideration to influence, induce, or corrupt voters;
b. committed acts of terrorism to enhance his candidacy; c.
spent in his election campaign an amount in excess of that allowed by this Code, shall be disqualified from continuing as a candidate, or if he has been elected, shall terminate the term of office.
SECTION 3. Nuisance candidates. - The Commission may motu proprio or upon a verified petition of an interested party, refuse to give due course to or cancel a certificate of candidacy if it is shown that said certificate has been filed to put the election process in mockery or disrepute or to cause confusion among the voters by the similarity of the names of the registered candidates or by other circumstances or acts which clearly demonstrate that the candidate has no bona fide intention to run for the office for which the certificate of candidacy has been filed and thus prevent a faithful determination of the true will of the electorate.
ARTICLE V. QUALIFICATIONS OF VOTERS SECTION 1. Qualifications of Voters. In order to qualify as a voter in the elections, the voter;
a.
must be a bona fide member of NFJPIA and a student of Accountancy or any accounting-related course;.
b. Must be authorized by the Local Chapter President/ Regional Council President of the Local Chapter/ Region he/she represents, or an incumbent NFJPIA Executive Officer; c.
Must be a registered participant of the Annual National Convention 2014.
SECTION 2. Disqualification as a Voter. – A student is disqualified to vote in any electoral exercise when he has been found guilty;
a. given money or other material consideration to influence, induce, or corrupt voters; b. committed acts of terrorism to enhance his candidacy;
Sec 2. Disqualifications – a. Of demanding or receiving money or any material consideration in exchange for the favour of his vote or of the LC/RC he represents; b. Of facilitating or participating in any act of terrorism to enhance any candidate’s candidacy.
ARTICLE VI. APPLICATION PACKET SECTION 1. Submission of Completed Application Packet. – No person shall be eligible for any elective public office unless he submits his/her appliation packet within the period fixed herein. SECTION 2. Contents of Application Packet. – The Application Packet shall be composed of the following :
• • • • • • •
Curriculum Vitae with recent 2x2 ID Picture w/ white Background. 2 page – General Plan of Action (must include but not limited to: Vision & Goals, Strategies & Proposed Timeline) Accomplished Essays (Questions to be seen in the ff. page) Video answering the Video Questionnaire, must be of good quality and good audio(Questions to be seen in the ff. page) Two (2) Endorsement Letters Letter of Intent 3 accomplished Assessment Google Form to be answered by: The Applicant, 1 Mentor Assessor and 1 Colleague Assessor. Tinyurl.com/nfcomelecaf
Provided that other requirement not submitted by a candidate during the deadline shall be complied with not later than the Wednesday of the following week with one hundred pesos (P100.00) penalty for every requirement. There shall be no extension other that stipulated herein. SECTION 3. Withdrawal of Certificate of Candidacy. – No Application Packet duly filed shall be considered withdrawn, unless the candidate presents his notice of withdrawal, duly signed by the candidate, to the COMELEC sometime before the day of elections. SECTION 4. Candidate Holding Appointive Office or Position . – Persons holding appointive office or position in the NFJPIA shall first resign from his position before filing his Application Packet.
ARTICLE VII. REGULAR ELECTIONS OF THE NFJPIA EXECUTIVE OFFICERS SECTION 1. Time and Date - Regular elections of the NFJPIA EOs shall be held during the Annual National Convention or within the last week of April 2014. SECTION 2. Point Distribution – The following scheme shall apply in determining the winning candidates for each NFJPIA EO position:
a. President, Vice Presidents for Academics, Non-Academics, Membership, Finance, Audit, Media and Documentations: 10% - Pre-election activities, evaluated by the COMELEC 20% - Votes coming from each incumbent NFJPIA EO 30% - Votes coming from each Regional Council 40% - Votes coming from all attending Local Councils b. Vice President for Communications – Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao
10% - Pre-election activities, evaluated by the COMELEC 20% - Votes coming from each incumbent NFJPIA EO 30% - Votes coming from each Regional Council within their respective areas 40% - Votes coming from all attending Local Councils within their respective areas c.
Vice President for Communications - NCR
10% - Pre-election activities, evaluated by the COMELEC 20% - Votes coming from each incumbent NFJPIA EO 70% - Aggregated votes coming from each Regional Executive Officer and each attending Local Chapter within the National Capital Region d. Secretary General – to be appointed by the President-elect. SECTION 3. Absence of Qualified Voters –
a.
Should any Regional Council be absent during the ANC, the COMELEC shall have the obligation to provide means on securing their votes. b. Should any LC representative, duly registered in the ANC, be absent during the voting period, he should be considered to have abstained from voting in all positions. SECTION 4. Sole candidates – Should there be a sole candidate for any EO position, he/she shall have to accumulate more than 50 points to effect his election. Otherwise, the provisions of Article VIII of this Code shall apply. SECTION 5. Tie-breaking – Should any two candidates for the same position garner an equal amount of the points for the top rank, the winner shall be determined through a round of coin toss. SECTION 6. Proclamation – The COMELEC shall communicate with every member of NFJPIA the results of the special elections within one (1) week from the date of appointment.
ARTICLE VIII – SPECIAL ELECTIONS SECTION 1. Special Elections – See Art III, Sec 3 of this Code. SECTION 2. Nomination – The Regional Councils shall be given a period of ten (10) working days after the proclamation of the EOs to submit their official nominations for the unfilled positions, along with the applicable requirements enumerated in Article VI of this Code.
SECTION 3. Appointment – The newly-elected EOs shall be given the power to appoint to the unfilled office/s from among the qualified nominees. SECTION 4. Proclamation – The COMELEC shall communicate with every member of NFJPIA the results of the special elections within 1 week from the date of appointment.
