Debian Project Leader Elections

Hi,

        According to the constitution (5.2. Appointment), project
 leader elections should begin "nine weeks before the leadership post
 becomes vacant, or (if it is too late already) immediately."

	The new project leader term starts on April 17th, and that
 sets the time line:
 Nomination period:  Feb 7th  00:00:01 UTC -- Feb 28th 00:00:00 UTC
 Campaigning period: Feb 28th 00:00:01 UTC -- Mar 21st 00:00:00 UTC
   Voting period:    Mar 21st 00:00:01 UTC -- Apr 11th 00:00:00 UTC

        Prospective leaders should be familiar with the constitution,
 but, just to review: there's a three week period when interested
 developers nominate themselves, followed by a three week period with
 no nominations [intended for campaigning], followed by three weeks
 for the election itself.

        I intend to collect platform statements from the candidates,
 and publish them on a known location (somewhere under
 http://www.debian.org/vote) at the end of the nomination period and the
 beginning of the campaign.

        I suggest that the candidates send the platform, preferably in
 HTML/SGML, to the secretary at least a couple of days before the
 publication date.

        This should give the candidates enough time to craft their
 platforms, I should think. The format of the web page is open to
 discussion, but I suggest there be at least three sections:
  a) Introduction/Biography
  b) Major Goal/ Meat of the platform,
  c) Rebuttal.=20

        After the publication, there share be a one week period for
 each candidate to create a rebuttal, and the rebuttals shall be
 published on Mar 7th, 2005.=20

       In the past, we have conducted DPL debates on a special IRC
 channel set up for the purpose. Perhaps we should set up one this
 year as well.  The time to do so would be after the rebuttals have
 been posted by the candidates, and the campaigns have been well
 established, and people have had time to think up questions.

        Speaking of the debate, I would like to invite people to be
 panelists for the IRC debate (to be held on irc.oftc.net). The debate
 should be held on IRC after the rebuttals are posted, and before the
 voting starts, at the convenience of the candidates, and the
 panelists (which kinda puts it roughly in the ides of March, I
 think).

        I would like to have a chair for the panelists, and hand off
 the actual selection of other panelists (who may or may not be debian
 developers) and running the debate to the chair (to minimize any hint
 of collusion with current office holders, including me).  I hereby
 invite volunteers for the debate chair and panelists; these
 volunteers shall be responsible for setting the rules for the debate
 and selecting the questions for the candidates.=20

        Please make sure that nominations are sent to (or cc:'d to)
 debian-vote, and are cryptographically signed.

        Thanks,

        manoj

=2D-=20
Let your conscience be your guide. Pope
Manoj Srivastava   
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