ACCA Members show no confidence in Council


Once again ACCA members have given thumbs down to council members. There is no point is voting because council members are "appointed" rather than elected. Unelected officeholders cast hundreds of votes to negate members wishes.

In addition, ACCA officers have been known to unilaterally change election statements by the candidates. The incumbent officeholders travel the world, at members' expense, to secure support for their puppets. ACCA officials campaign through e-mails and websites, but council election candidates are prevented from communicating with members via e-mail and website. Election candidates are restricted to a 180 word statement, which must include some biographical data. This leaves no room to put forward any reforms and that suits the unelected leadership.  Faced with these hurdles ACCA members choose to withhold their support for the system. They refuse to vote.

ACCA has the lowest turnout for election votes amongst any recognised accountancy body. Are ACCA members' more apthetic? No, they simply have no confidence in the system. But the leadership does not care. Numerous promises of reforms have come to nothing.

For the 2005 council elections, out of a membership of 105,000 only 6,100 voted (or 5.8%) voted. Of these 739 votes were cast by the officeholders. Would anyone have a confidence in an election of similar turnout.

Surprise surprise, the incoming President (unelected to his office by members) secured the biggest vote of 3,639 (just 3.47% of the membership), which must include the maximum proxy vote. Individuals securing just 2,285 votes (or 2.18% of the membership) have been "appointed" to the council. Even in a banana republic, people have the decency to recognise that this does not give them any mandate to govern.

ACCA council does not and cannot represent members. It has no democratic mandate. The power brokers are not interested in reforms. Their main concern is to routinely pick members' pockets.