Re: IESG issue 2 (Re: IESG issues with draft-ietf-nomcom-rfc2727bis-07)

[Robert Elz <kre@munnari.OZ.AU>]

    Date:        Wed, 08 Oct 2003 09:21:14 +0200
    From:        Harald Tveit Alvestrand <harald@alvestrand.no>
    Message-ID:  <181892227.1065604874@localhost>

  | So it's a real practical question.

Yes, but it is also a real hard question (as it was suggested in the IESG
objection anyway) - as the nomcom can't really announce that it is seeking
to fill that postion until after it knows that it will be vacant, which
can only be after the candidate has accepted the move, which can't really
happen (for certain) until after the confirmation by the confirming body.

Aside from not actually being certain that the position will be vacant until
after the resignation by the moved incumbent, to reveal that the nomcom
was seeking an extra AD for area X, or one more IAB member would (especially
in the first case) be revealing information that the nomcom is required
to keep confidential.

I believe that this issue is based upon a misunderstanding of what

>>>      *  The Executive Director of the IETF informs the nominating
>>>        committee of the mid-term vacancy.
>>>
>>>      *  The nominating committee acts on the request to fill the
>>>        mid-term vacancy

really means.   There was no intent here (I believe) to allow ...

>> This section indicates that a position may be vacated and filled
>> without the community being notified that a position is open.

Reading the procedure, it is fairly clear (to me anyway) that the
vacancy occurs only after confirmation (and announcement) of the new
positions, and is then handled just like any other mid term vacancy
(like one occurring in the middle of the normal term for whatever reason).

If the wording needs to be tweaked to make that even clearer, I doubt
anyone would object.

I don't think there's any rational way to have the newly vacant position
filled as a part of the initial nomcom process though (though the nomcom
may well be aware that a vacancy is likely, and perpare for it, so the
mid-term vacancy processing might end up being quite quick by comparison
with other events).  And this is regardless of whether the new position is
an IESG position or an IAB position.

To answer Avri's final question:

> Do full mid term replacement rules, including public announcement apply
> to this case?

Yes, of course they do.   I find it hard to even imagine how the
text can be read so as to imply otherwise.   All this happens after
confirmation and announcement of the results of the nomcom process
that caused it - not during.

kre