Posted by Al on 3/30/2008, 9:50 am, in reply to "Re: OCA Primatial Elections"
Message modified by user Al 3/30/2008, 9:52 am
Leo:
The statute addresses the election of a new primate as follows:
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When a vacancy has occurred in the office of Metropolitan, the bishop senior by rank and date of consecration shall convene the Holy Synod. After the formal vote declaring the vacancy, the Holy Synod will proceed with the election of a locum tenens. Within a period not exceeding three months (unless some unavoidable necessity forces a prolongment of this period), the locum tenens will convene an All-American Council at which a successor shall be elected. If not already a bishop, a candidate for the office of Metropolitan must fulfill the canonical, moral, and educational requirements stated in Article VI, Section 9. The election shall take place according to the following order:
a. The Council nominates candidates by secret ballot without previous discussion of names. A blank paper ballot shall be distributed to each member of the Council before the vote.
b. On the first vote, one single name may be written on each ballot. If the name of a candidate is written on a number of ballots equal to at least two-thirds of the total number of members in attendance at the Council, his name shall be submitted to the Holy Synod for approval by majority vote; in case of rejection, the Holy Synod shall formally state the reasons which motivated the rejection.
c. If no candidate receives a number of ballots equal to at least two-thirds of the total membership in attendance, or if the person receiving that number of ballots fails to receive the approval of the Holy Synod, a second vote shall be taken.
d. In the second vote, two names shall be written on each ballot; the tellers shall not count any ballot on which fewer or more than two names are written. The names of the two candidates who receive the highest number of ballots on the second vote shall be submitted to the Holy Synod for their choice by majority vote.
e. Upon his election, and before the dismissal of the All-American Council, the new Metropolitan will be enthroned according to the established ritual.
Statutes of the OCA http://oca.org/DOCstatute.asp?SID=12&ID=4
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In short, the synod only needs to confirm or explain why they reject when a candidate receives a 2/3 majority on the first ballot. Failing this 2/3 majority, there is a second balloting, and the synod can choose freely between the two leading candidates. For reasons known only to the bishops of the OCA, they have chosen the runner up in both elections since autocephaly. No candidate achieved a 2/3 majority on the first ballot either time. But such a choice is totally in accordance with the statutes.
Regards,
Al
Al
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