Meanwhile, HRAAA members and legal advisers areinvestigating what they say are discrepanciesbetween the recommendations and the University'scharter. He said the new recommendations wouldlimit who can vote and who can run for overseer,contrary to the intent of the charter. The Youngreport also proposes allowing officers of theUniversity to participate more extensively in theelection process, although the charter prohibitsUniversity officials from voting in the electionor holding places on the board.

"The corporate charter clearly intends toseparate officers of the University from the Boardof Overseers," Raskin said. "Officers are noteligible to serve on or to vote for the Board. Butunder the new recommendations they can be on thecommittee that selects candidates. This isblurring the distinction," he said.

Raskin said that while the Board of Overseersis permitted to change voting rules, the charterprohibits it from diluting any vote or anyone'sability to run. He said that recommendations tothrow out some incomplete ballots and to separateUniversity candidates from unofficial candidateson voter information materials, violate thisprovision.

HRAAA lawyers say they are also disturbed bythe recommendation that the University no longeruse an outside organization to count votes.Ballots are currently counted by the University'saccounting firm, Coopers and Lybrand.

Any complaints would have to be filed with thestate attorney general, who is reponsible foroverseeing public charities chartered under theCommonwealth of Massachusetts, such as Harvard.

"This is an arrogant and egregious display ofcontempt for democratic processes," Raskin said."Harvard should realize that it exists at thepleasure of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. TheCommonwealth of Massachusetts would never acceptthese rules for its own elections and there's noreaosn to believe that they would accept them forHarvard's elections."

"There seems to be a basic failure on theUniversity's part to understand what constitutes afair election," said HRAAA member Damon Silvers'86