Straw Voting Complete 
By Vipramukhya Swami

CHAKRA (Mayapur, India) - February 13, 2001: The straw voting is done. Today the GBC will hear a presentation on the Mayapur Project by Abhirama Prabhu.

So what was discussed during the straw voting?

A lot of topics came up which had been milled over by the subcommittees. The main topics seem to center around GBC restructuring and guru reform. Should the GBC completely reorganize itself yet again, or merely work on existing structures to improve itself? Should gurus and sannyasis be on the GBC? Should gurus and sannyasis be involved in any management at all? Should all guru-daksina over $20,000 be turned over to an ISKCON centralized account?

Other topics included: Should the devotees in Spain be allowed to sell the farm? Is it okay for the Paris temple to move nearer to the center of the city? Because no cow reports were submitted in Mayapur or Vrindavan, should the breeding of cows be stopped there or are there other remedial measures that could be taken?

Each of these topics, and many others, were discussed in detail in the two days of plenary meetings yesterday and the day before. Committee facilitators presented the topics that were in their subcommittees, took questions and heard comments from GBC members and guests. Then a straw vote was taken by ballot.

The results of the straw votes and any comments that may have been noted will go back to the subcommittees for further consideration and refinement of the proposals before they are submitted again for a final vote. CHAKRA does not know the results of the straw votes for each topic, but we will report the final resolutions as soon as they are available.

The phone lines are not working in the GBC building, so I was unable to send be a report yesterday. I have heard the phone lines are not working there again today, making it extra difficult to send this report.

Yesterday was the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and the disappearance day of Srila Gour Govinda Swami. Devotees observed a half day fast, and the morning session of the GBC adjourned early to facilitate devotees attending the festival and pushpanjali.

© CHAKRA 13 February 2001

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