We all know OSI elections are advisory-only, but the true advice given via electoral ballots should be public [LWN.net]

We all know OSI elections are advisory-only, but the true advice given via electoral ballots should be public

Posted Mar 23, 2025 8:03 UTC (Sun) by smurf (subscriber, #17840)
In reply to: We all know OSI elections are advisory-only, but the true advice given via electoral ballots should be public by kleptog
Parent article: OSI election ends with unsatisfying results

> If you don't like that you can simply not join the executive and stay an MP.

The other way, and frankly the way I expect a legitimate board to be run, is to agree to disagree, but decide to support the majority decision anyway. At least on topics where there was prior public disagreement.

I don't think there's a democratic parliament out there (i.e. excluding mock parliaments like China's, or autocraties like Turkey's these days) where you need to sign a formal statement that you will do the former but not the latter, otherwise you don't get in despite being elected.

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We all know OSI elections are advisory-only, but the true advice given via electoral ballots should be public

Posted Mar 23, 2025 16:31 UTC (Sun) by kleptog (subscriber, #1183) [Link]

> The other way, and frankly the way I expect a legitimate board to be run, is to agree to disagree, but decide to support the majority decision anyway. At least on topics where there was prior public disagreement.

There's a difference between "agreeing to disagree" and touring all the talk-shows loudly exclaiming how you disagree with a decision that you are nonetheless bound to carry out, but are going to do your best to stonewall as much as possible. The latter is just not cool. You don't have to sing praises, but actively working against is bad.

And sure, no-one asks you to sign a document about that because you can't enforce it anyway. Who is going to enforce that an executive is acting in a consistent and predictable manner? In the end it's the legislature that can bring down the executive if they feel it's gotten out of hand (motion of no-confidence, in systems that have such a mechanism).