Theos-Talk Archives (May 2008 Message tt00326)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Anand" <AnandGholap@...> wrote:

> Is election process in TS different from democratic election process
> which is generally used in national elections ? Recently we saw how
> Obama, Hillary and others did fierce campaigning, proving to people
> how they are better candidates than their opponents. Campaigning is
> part of any election, as I understand. Does TS have any different 
kind
> of democracy in which there should be no campaigning?  Pedro's 
letter
> suggests that John, who is opponent of Radha in this election, 
should
> campaign for Radha. That does not sound normal. I will be happy if
> Pedro can explain why election in TS should be different from any
> other democratic election.
> Anand Gholap

Anand,

Please show me where in my letter to Dr Algeo I have asked him to 
campaign for Radha Burnier.

Pedro

 
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "prmoliveira" <prmoliveira@> 
wrote:
> >
> > Dear John,
> > 
> > Is well known that Radha Burnier nominated you for the position 
of 
> > Vice-President of the TS three times: in 2001, 2004 and 2007. 
> > Nominating the same person three times for such an important 
position 
> > implies a great deal of trust in the person thus nominated. Even 
> > after suffering a stroke in November 2006, and having recovered 
from 
> > it, she still chose to nominate you as the Vice-President of the 
> > Society.
> > 
> > I was very relieved, and reassured, when I received the MESSAGE 
FROM 
> > THE VICE-PRESIDENT, which you kindly sent, electronically, on 24 
> > February 2007, to all General Secretaries, Presidential 
> > Representatives, Organising Secretaries plus a number of 
individual 
> > members around the world. This information was important not only 
> > because it came from our Vice-President but also because you had 
met 
> > with and talked to Radha at Adyar a little more than a month 
after 
> > her stroke. I reproduce the relevant part of your message:
> > 
> > "As you have doubtless heard, the President had a light stroke in 
> > November. It did not affect her body or her mind except for a 
slight 
> > and temporary memory loss with respect to names. Her doctor 
predicts 
> > a full recovery, which will take several months. At present she 
is 
> > progressing nicely and doing very well. She attended all the 
major 
> > meetings during Convention, although she let others do some of 
the 
> > speaking and presiding that she normally does. She has taken a 
short 
> > time off (which she well deserves) to recuperate, free from the 
> > demands on her at headquarters, but she is now back at Adyar and 
> > attending to business. While I was at Adyar in December and 
January, 
> > I had extensive discussions with her about Theosophical business 
> > around the world, and she is on top of all the facts and her 
judgment 
> > is as sharp as ever. The outlook is very favorable for a full 
> > recovery. The Adyar staff responded in exemplary fashion during 
> > convention, and all went very well indeed."
> > 
> > When I arrived at Adyar, last December, something had changed for 
I 
> > soon became aware that some workers there were preparing to send 
out 
> > a letter to the members of the General Council, both about 
Radha's 
> > health as well as informing them that you had agreed to accept 
> > nominations for the office of President. Later on I was able to 
> > obtain a copy of Elvira Carbonell's letter to a General Council 
> > member. The letter, dated 19 December 2007, clearly indicates 
that 
> > you had accepted to be a candidate even before the official 
> > nomination papers had reached the great majority of General 
Council 
> > members residing overseas. As you know, I did protest at Elvira's 
> > letter in my own letter to the General Council, saying that 
it "is a 
> > clear attempt to interfere with the constitutional election for 
> > President of the TS." 
> > 
> > After the nomination phase was over, signs of a wider and active 
> > campaign in your favour started to appear. On 29 March 2008, Mme. 
> > Maxence Ondet, Secretary to the French TS Board, sent out a 
letter to 
> > all TS members in France. She says, among other things, that 
Radha, 
> > after the stroke, was "unable to speak for at least a month and 
[it] 
> > deprived her of a large part of her memory.  Her recovery was 
slow 
> > and incomplete, especially as far as short term memory and recall 
of 
> > names are concerned.  In conversation, she no longer understands 
> > anything but short and simple sentences." If we compare Mme. 
Ondet's 
> > statements to your abovementioned report about Radha's condition 
the 
> > discrepancies in the French letter become self-evident. 
> > 
> > Mme. Ondet went on to say that those present "at the Convention 
at 
> > Adyar in December 2007 noticed with sadness and embarrassment the 
> > great difficulty with which she delivered her principal 
Convention 
> > address, an address that was wandering and repetitive, and showed 
a 
> > weakened mind or brain damage." The same letter states that "she 
no 
> > longer writes speeches; someone does them for her.  Since the 
stroke, 
> > the editorials of the international magazine 'The Adyar 
Theosophist' 
> > are no longer written by her."
> > 
> > While at Adyar, last December, I visited Radha almost everyday 
for a 
> > period of almost eighteen days and can therefore attest that the 
> > above description of her condition is utterly false. I also saw 
> > proofs of an upcoming issue of The Theosophist on the coffee 
table in 
> > her living room. She reads every article that is submitted for 
> > publication. As a matter of fact, the table was full of 
theosophical 
> > magazines and books, the same way it was when I used to visit her 
> > when I worked at Adyar more than twelve years ago. Although you, 
Mary 
> > Anderson and Surendra Narayan wrote the "On the Watch-Tower" 
notes in 
> > The Theosophist for the first few months last year, Radha resumed 
> > writing them in May and we can again see her own style in the 
> > magazine which she edits.
> > 
> > The closing paragraph of Mme. Ondet's letter is even more 
revealing 
> > (italics mine):
> > 
> > "For sure, we loved Radha.  We probably still do.  And this has 
> > perhaps nothing to do with her mental state.  Even so, we think 
that 
> > the destiny of the Theosophical Society would be even more shaken 
if 
> > Radha were to take on a fifth term of office.  We therefore 
invite 
> > you to reflect seriously before the forthcoming election which 
will 
> > be crucial for the future direction of the Theosophical Society.
> > 
> > Most fraternally,"
> > 
> > What is there of fraternal in this most unkind, biased and 
untruthful 
> > communication? 
> > 
> > What has shocked, and continues to shock, many of us is that the 
> > President of the Theosophical Society is the subject of an 
immoral 
> > and utterly unbrotherly attack by the executive body of a 
National 
> > Society, and yet members world wide have not heard a word from 
their 
> > Vice-President about it. Your continued silence raises many 
> > questions: do you object to the immoral attacks at the President 
> > which distort, disfigure and blatantly lie about her real 
condition 
> > which you saw at Adyar soon after the stroke and which now has 
been 
> > confirmed by her doctors? Do you consider appropriate, as our 
Vice-
> > President, for the executive body of a National Society to issue 
such 
> > a letter as Mme. Ondet's to all its members on the eve of their 
> > voting in the international election?  
> > 
> > Then we saw Betty Bland's letter of 11 April 2008 sent to 
thousands 
> > of members of the American Section. In it she says: 
> > 
> > "Radha seems to be recovering physically from the stroke she 
suffered 
> > over a year ago, but, given her age, she stills has periods of 
low 
> > energy and her memory is inconsistent. While I have a deep 
respect 
> > for the wonderful service she has given to the Society and feel 
that 
> > she can continue to be useful as a wise elder, it is for the good 
of 
> > the whole that the leadership pass smoothly to John Algeo, who 
> > currently serves as the international Vice-president." 
> > 
> > She concludes her letter by encouraging members to see your 
personal 
> > website, which since 23 April 2008 has a Hindi webpage in 
> > its "Theosophical" page, and adds: "I hope you seriously consider 
> > this information when casting your vote."
> > 
> > In an election with only two candidates, does not Betty's letter 
come 
> > across as visible electioneering in your favour? Has she the 
right to 
> > condition or influence the choice of the American members in an 
> > election? When some of your supporters say that you are not 
> > campaigning, is not Betty's letter an active and widespread 
campaign 
> > on your behalf that hurts the freedom and fairness of the most 
> > important election in the TS? I am aware of Radha's letter to the 
> > General Secretaries, which was sent by ordinary mail. She had the 
> > right of reply after being misrepresented and placed into 
> > disadvantage by Elvira's letter which was sent a day after the 
> > official nomination papers were issued by the International 
Secretary 
> > at Adyar.
> > 
> > Given your continued silence I have no reasons to believe that 
you 
> > will address the questions I have asked you in this letter. But 
as a 
> > member I needed to tell you, personally, that the actions of your 
> > supporters have cast a thick cloud over the electoral process as 
they 
> > have violated cherished and time-honoured principles of our 
Society. 
> > And your continued silence is disappointing and disturbing.
> > 
> > Those of us who have followed your serialized studies on The 
Voice of 
> > the Silence, which are being published by Radha in The 
Theosophist, 
> > cannot help but remember one of the poignant verses in that great 
> > book: "Sow kindly acts and thou shalt reap their fruition. 
Inaction 
> > in a deed of mercy becomes action in a deadly sin. Thus saith the 
> > Sage." (II, 135)
> > 
> > Radha, as a legitimate successor of Col. Olcott in the office of 
> > President, deserves much more respect and courtesy than your 
> > supporters have dispensed to her in this election. The 
Theosophical 
> > Society is now poorer because of their actions which have 
desecrated 
> > the institution of the Presidency and what it stands for. 
> > 
> > I just could not remain silent.
> > 
> > With sincere sadness,
> > 
> > Pedro
> >
>