IAPT Ballot (International Association for Plant Taxonomy)

[Nick Turland]

A statement on the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT)
officers & council ballot from the Research Division of the Missouri
Botanical Garden (MO):

On Thursday, February 4, 1999, part of the Research Division of the
Missouri Botanical Garden met to discuss the current controversy over the
IAPT ballot for officers and council. As a Division we are happy to
support the formal request from three British institutions (BM, E, K)
asking for a second ballot with Dr Patricia Holmgren included for the post
of Secretary and Dr Marshall Crosby as Treasurer. We would not condone the
advice recently given on TAXACOM, i.e., that ballot papers should be
returned without voting while requesting a second ballot, but rather
suggest IAPT members wait for an official response from the association
to the British institutions' statement. We would advise those interested
in changing the direction and constitution of the IAPT to choose officers
and council members carefully when voting, and subsequently to work
within the existing structure of the IAPT to achieve these goals. We
would greatly welcome changes towards more openness in the association
that would preclude any need for a repetition of the controversy that has
occurred over the last several months.