This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.
Five days away from voting, Nico Brasset Duque, the vice-president (operations) candidate of uncontested AMS executive team JNN suddenly dropped out.
Duque, ArtSci ’24, informed the AMS Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Calder Bryson he was withdrawing his candidacy at 4 p.m. on Jan. 31 via email. Duque cited “differences of opinions” within team JNN as his rationale for withdrawing, in a statement to The Journal.
“I simply believe that as a team, we had many differences of opinion between ourselves and for that reason, I felt that I can no longer play a role in this team,” Duque said.
AMS policy doesn’t allow for remaining candidates Jason Kim, Comm ’24, and Noah Mawji, ArtSci ’24, to stay in the running. AMS executive teams are nominated, ratified, and campaign in teams, and all three candidates are required to be on the ballot.
Duque said he believes a successful AMS executive team needs to present a unified front. He regrets he can no longer make a difference at Queen’s as a member of the AMS executive.
Duque declined to comment on what specific differences drove him to withdraw. Kim and Mawji told The Journal they’re meeting with the AMS CEO tomorrow, and are “deciding their options,” but still plan to run for executive.
“Noah and I still intend to run and bring strong leadership to our campus. We remain ionate about serving the student body,” Kim and Mawji said in a statement to The Journal. “We wish Nico the absolute best in his future endeavours.”
For Duque, tackling financial transparency within the University and the AMS would’ve been a top priority. He said the campaign taught him about issues impacting Queen’s students including mature student funding, physical accessibility on campus, online student services, community housing, and ing student victims of discrimination and violence.
“I have come to learn about many issues we have here at Queen’s that I would have not have known without the people I have met and consulted with,” Duque said.
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