Proposal to End Term Limits at DDC Met with Strong Criticism
January 31, 08
The Diamond Dealers Club (DDC) board of directors is recommending a number of changes to its by-laws, including the elimination of term limits for all elected positions. The proposal is being met with sharp criticism by many Club members who feel the move “flies in the face of good governance.”
A number of Club members who object to the move feel that the top positions need to see change every few years. Eliminating term limits “leads to stagnation,” said a DDC member who asked to remain anonymous.
The members that criticized the move emphasize that their comments are not directed against any current seat-holder, but rather out of concern for the
The board is also recommending setting the term of elected positions at three years and putting an end to the staggering of terms. One senior DDC member expressed puzzlement over this proposition, explaining that staggering allows experience to be passed when key officials are replaced.
The counter argument brought by other members says that eliminating term limits allows good people to continue leading the Club. “It’s a democracy, if there are better candidates, they can still get elected,” a member told IDEX Online.
The personal aspect of the debate cannot be ignored. Off the record, members are talking in terms of support of or objection to current DDC President Jacob Banda. Banda is in his second term, and if the recommendations are approved, he could run again for president.
The recommendations will be voted on by DDC members and will require the support of two-thirds of the voters to be approved.
Term limits are not universally enforced at bourses across the board. Some, such as the Israel Diamond Exchange, have term limits while others, including Antwerp, do not