Bijan Ahmadian: “If you don’t endorse me…”

UBC Board of Governors

Thousands of people throughout the UBC community, especially students, have been working together for the past several years to save the UBC Farm from development. The campaign has been going well, culminating in a Board of Governors resolution in Dec 2009 indicating a desire to save the UBC Farm – so long as market housing needs can be met elsewhere on campus. The upcoming months will be crucial to maintain this momentum.

The upcoming election for student representatives to the Board of Governors is of utmost importance to those who care about the Farm. In this context, it was very concerning that present Board of Governors representative and candidate Bijan Ahmadian came to the Friends of the Farm meeting on Thurs Jan 22 2009 to take part in political intimidation. Mr. Ahmadian told around 20 people present at the meeting that if he received an endorsement from FotF, he would work to support the Academic Plan for the Farm. However, if he did not receive an endorsement, he stated he would not actively work to help the Farm.

Bijan Ahmadian said: “I have been kind of clear that if you endorse me [..] I will have a very solid commitment [..] but if you do not endorse me, then i won’t be emailing people saying this is my project this year. If i get your endorsement, this it is a contract for me, and anything otherwise would be a breach of contract from my perspective, and I know that this may sound like I…I’m not saying I wouldn’t be representing you if I get elected, but it’s that endorsement that says that we have a relationship now and we can build on that relationship.” He then added that he had calculated that he would likely win the election, insinuating that FotF was therefore forced to endorse him.

The progress we’ve made is too important to be squandered by our campus leaders playing political blackmail for personal power. It is important that our representatives truly believe in the goal of a world-class centre for sustainable food systems.

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