-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA256 On 26/08/15 21:12, Andreas Barth wrote: > > ----- GENERAL RESOLUTION STARTS ----- > > > Constitutional Amendment: TC Supermajority Fix > > Prior to the Clone Proof SSD GR in June 2003, the Technical > Committee could overrule a Developer with a supermajority of 3:1. > > Unfortunately, the definition of supermajorities in the SSD GR has > a fencepost error. In the new text a supermajority requirement is > met only if the ratio of votes in favour to votes against is > strictly greater than the supermajority ratio. > > In the context of the Technical Committee voting to overrule a > developer that means that it takes 4 votes to overcome a single > dissenter. And with a maximum committee size of 8, previously two > dissenters could be outvoted by all 6 remaining members; now that > is no longer possible. > > This change was unintentional, was contrary to the original intent > of the Constitution, and is unhelpful. > > Additionally, following discussion of the supermajority mechanism > within the project, it was realised that certain situations could > cause anomalous results: > > * The existing rules might result in a GR or TC resolution passing > which was actually the diametric opposite of the majority view. > > * The existing rules unintentionally privilege the default option > in evenly contested TC votes where no supermajority is required, > possibly encouraging tactical voting. > > Therefore, amend the Debian Constitution as follows: > > (i) Delete most of A.6(3) (which implemented the supermajority by > dropping options at an early stage). Specifically: - Move > A.6(3)(1) (the definition of V(A,B)) to a new subparagraph > A.6(3)(0) before A.6(3)(1). - Remove the rest of A.6(3) entirely, > leaving A.6(2) to be followed by A.6(4). > > (ii) In A.6(8) replace all occurrences of "winner" with > "prospective winner". Replace "wins" in "which of those options > wins" with "is the prospective winner". > > (iii) In A.6(8) add a new sentence at the end: + If there is no > elector with a casting vote, the default option + wins. > > (iv) Add a new section A.6(9) after A.6(8): + 9. 1. If the > prospective winner W has no majority requirement, + or > defeats the default option D by its majority + requirement, > the prospective winner is the actual winner. + 2. Otherwise, the > motion has failed its supermajority with + the consequences > set out alongside the majority + requirement (or, if > unspecified, the default option + wins). + 3. An option A > defeats the default option D by a + majority of N:M if M * > V(A,D) is greater than or equal to + N * V(D,A). > > (v) In * 6.1(4) (Technical Commitee power to overrule a Developer) > * 4.1(4) (Developers' use of TC powers by GR) (if another > constitutional amendment has not abolished that supermajority > requirement) in each case after the "N:M majority" add + ; > failing that, the prospective winning resolution text becomes + a > non-binding statement of opinion. > > (vi) In A.3(2) delete as follows: 2. The default option must not > have any supermajority requirements. - Options which do not > have an explicit supermajority requirement - have a 1:1 > majority requirement. > > For the avoidance of any doubt, this change does not affect any > votes (whether General Resolutions or votes in the Technical > Committee) in progress at the time the change is made. > > The effect is to fix the fencepost bug, and arrange that failing a > supermajority voids the whole decision (or makes it advisory), > rather than promoting another option. The fencepost bugfix will > also have a (negligible) effect on any General Resolutions > requiring supermajorities. And after this change the TC chair can > choose a non-default option even if it is tied with a default > option. > > > > > > Constitutional Amendment: Fix duplicate section numbering. > > The current Debian Constitution has two sections numbered A.1. This > does not currently give rise to any ambiguity but it is > undesirable. > > Fix this with the following semantically neutral amendment: > > - Renumber the first section A.1 to A.0. > > > ----- GENERAL RESOLUTION ENDS -----
I second both parts of this GR. Colin - -- Colin Tuckley | +44(0)1223 830814 | PGP/GnuPG Key Id Debian Developer | +44(0)7799 143369 | 0x38C9D903 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2 iQIcBAEBCAAGBQJV3rhqAAoJEPoMQQc4ydkD4lsQALkA0OsqTUzg9Vem2mWG+DfM m6zmautUG0Y7MZa37FKDYuyn40zJ+t9betIwpQIyQdq69smgbTc+gfN6/fLQ8c/T QL2g/eF8Vr1hIzV9XOmuO9KcnRgB0mpscy3oXYGabbODezfmAUGCqzQC8aOaLQ77 5lCuCB6SewtdlEBD+L7OEFSjDLnwjHaGWJPxsF3FZEqyyzP91Zp4VJQppNzfYQv/ 1mUnNfLPUkplVfdLHkrMTiQzTEVqyyW14s+ZR6s6+aGIvv34VHfoy5ZMhnK06Q6G YG5Xv3NnqnFFyp+MbSv+LmR8fqdegPDiycIHZLxhhkb+tIvEKT351+thac5e/+KG Cg9+5WWjD2Z838GrHJpOZoR1oACcMS3bTEmMyZe+64hI+09flWAKlQJFfNnpfd9G eJZRT05Wo8DViGZrYR9XY0MFrxdzO+GUeR+rfR0LoNQUf8QTQQbo4pJSwlL39ZIp Sqx2CejvE1RCFJJ4AwkKYnTym5oX0El264ZrUC3iM2bEJtcCUNNBj8nW2XrHORns LEoxM+jndIYICuv5Nt+ua7ExT0FaYSTaoeGvuTpMQ7kZv0QYwpByo11QTQVqjvF8 4p6VsgvQ1sjtN84hRw1TlyhzZz6Hj62hd2YIqBqsJRk4EmHh7YRVXMxoCIj/5WEG xYqWYynw2z4WavJpp5VB =cSZc -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
