[ga] Re: Text of the motion...

["James Love" <james.love@cptech.org>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Roessler" <roessler@does-not-exist.org>
There has been a fair amount of debate on the process, but
practically no such debate on the contents of your motion.  You
could begin such a debate by actually responding to the comments I
made earlier.  See below.

> _Suggesting_ radical changes is one thing, _adopting_ them is an
> entirely different thing.  In particular, calling for a re-bid at
> this point of time would amount to a vote of no confidence in the
> entire ICANN structure as we know it.  Such a vote of no confidence
> would most likely remove the GA's (small) possibilities to influence
> the process in any reasonable manner.  (To draw the parallel: The GA
> would be - legitimately! - shocked if it was dissolved for
> _suggesting_ radical changes, such as a re-bid.)

   In fact, I am asking for a vote of no confidence.  I will point out that
people asked for a vote of no confidence in the ICANN board after Accra, and
you would not permit such a vote.   This isn't the old Soviet Union.  We
should be allowed to record votes in opposition, not only in support of the
leadership.

>
> If you insist on such a vote, I'd suggest that the vote should ask
> for a rebid under the condition that ICANN actually moves to _adopt_
> radical changes which seem inconsistent with the white paper's
> _fundamental_ _principles_.

      Thank you, but no thanks.  The board has already eliminated the at
large elections and failed to implement the independent review.   IMO, those
are radical changes.   All we have left are these non-binding straw polls,
and we can't even get those from the GA.

>
> There are two possible ways of implementing this.  Either, such a
> vote could be held now, and explicitly list the principles the GA
> wants to see preserved.  Or, the vote could be held when ICANN
> actually crosses the Rubicon.  (Some will, of course, argue that it
> already has done so.)
>

        See above.


> There is one more thing one should keep in mind: There is no
> guarantee that the winner of a re-bid would be better than the
> current, or a reformed, ICANN.  I'd suggest that the GA doesn't ask
> for a re-bid unless it has reason to believe that such a re-bid
> would actually lead to an improvement.  Giving such reasons is up to
> you, James.

            There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about a rebid.  The
comments by the numbering entities, the comments by the Chair of the IETF,
and widespread opposition to the Lynn proposal are things that would have
more currency in a competitive rebid, than within the insular ICANN
Committee on Reform Process.    I have met with DoC twice about this,
including yesterday.  I think that DoC is committed to a solution that has
global sharing of DNS management, and is aware of many civil society
concerns about the Lynn proposal.  Of course, if there is change, it is
possible that anything can happen.  Some people, including the board, don't
like elections, because they don't know who will win.  Same is true in a
recompete..... you don't know for sure going in.    I personally think a
rebid would spur the ICANN board to be more responsive to their critics, to
win the rebid.  I think also that non-profits should be permitted to fail.

 However, at the end of the day, this is a controversial topic.   Some
persons probably want ICANN as it is, or the Lynn proposal, or are extremely
risk averse.  In a vote, people can vote yes or no.    But look, if the GA
won't allow votes like this, lets just be clear about that too.   It will be
one more avenue for expression of popular will that ICANN has closed off.
And for what reason?  I would actually be surprised if a majority of GA
members supported a rebid.  Many of the GA members probably consider
themselves ICANN insiders, prefer to deal with the devil they know, or just
don't like the US Department of Commerce.

  Jamie

 --------------------------------
James Love mailto:james.love@cptech.org
http://www.cptech.org +1.202.387.8030 mobile +1.202.361.3040




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