At 03:46 AM 10/25/2012, Brian E Carpenter wrote:
On 24/10/2012 20:34, Doug Barton wrote:
...
... Nothing in the text suggests an
unfettered right of creating new definitions of "vacant."
You mean, new compared to the first definition in Merriam-Webster.com?
1: not occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer <a vacant office>
<vacant thrones>
Objectively and factually, that seems to be the case.
The objective facts of the case are that Marshall is non-responsive and has not
attended some number of meetings and teleconferences. Period.
To put a very specific point on this - in the real world, people get shot, or
are other wise hurt and end up in coma's and are otherwise unable to fulfill
the responsibilities of their office, and unless and until they resign from
office or are removed by defined procedures, they remain the incumbent.
I can list at least a few examples from American politics if you desire. In
the academic world, a tenured named position does not become vacant when the
incumbent goes on sabatical. If there are administrative responsibilities
associated with the position, generally the organization has defined procedures
to deal with the absence.
The IAOC is actually
going an extra mile rather than simply informing NomCom that the seat
has become vacant.
Brian