After questions about conflict of interest and lack of publicity resulted in an unprecedented intervention by Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III, control of this week's Undergraduate Council election was wrested from Council Chair Michael P. Beys '94 and Secretary Randall A. Fine '96 and placed in the hands of R. Gin Lo '94.

Lo, appointed at an emergency meeting Friday night, decided to forgo further involvement with the council.

But despite the election of Lo, who is considered impartial by all accounts, fears of conflict of interest in the management of the general election still have not been assuaged.

"Gin really didn't have enough time to do much, she took over [the election] so late," said council member Hillary K. Anger '93-94.

Anger said Beys and Fine wasted valuable time that could have been used to recruit more candidates, instead coordinating their own plans for the council.

"Mike and Randy are spending a lot of time thinking about whom they want the council to consist of," she said. "Their actions have long since crossed over the line of being unethical andmerely manipulative into the realm wheredisciplinary actions would be appropriate."

And council members claim that Beys andpresidential candidate Treasurer Carey W. Gabay'94 have infiltrated the ostensibly off-limitscouncil office, meeting with candidates andoffering support. Beys and Gabay manned theelection office yesterday, while Lo was reportedlynowhere to be found.

Two candidates from Kirkland House, Alex A.Hislop '96 and Demetrice Spiliotis '96, said thatthey consulted with Beys on the election.

"It's the UC office and UC members are allowedto be there," Beys explained. "I am the chair ofthe council and it's my responsibility to makesure that the office is open."

While he was in the office, however, Beysallegedly combined candidate encouragement withplots against other council members.

Anger, presidential candidate Melissa Garza '94and Residential Committee Chair Jennifer W. Grove'94, who lives in Kirkland House, said Beys istrying to ensure they do not return to the councilthis term.

According to Garza, she, Anger and Grove "arethe big three to shoot down" for Beys.

While Grove contends that Beys said "I'd liketo see her ass kicked off the council," Beysdenies that he has retaliated against memberswhose charges of improper conduct have plagued histerm.

An executive council source who was in theoffice yesterday said that Grove's charges areentirely substantiated. "Mike was talking to somecandidates from Kirkland and saying how he wantedher out," the executive said.

And an Adams House candidate agreed that Beyswas discussing Grove's candidacy with possiblefuture council members.

"I was on the council before and I know JenGrove," the candidate said. "She's extremelyhardworking and I couldn't believe that he wastalking about her like she was some horribleperson they needed to get rid of."

"And it was especially shocking consideringthat there were people like Randy Fine hangingaround the office," the candidate added.

But Beys insists that he is innocent of thebackhanded dealings of which he is accused. "JenGrove is completely paranoid and she should justrun [for council] and not worry about who's out toget her," Beys said.

Sabotage or not, it is questionable whether thepresent anger among council members will besurmountable once the ballots are counted and thecouncil convenes next week.

Fine, despite his withdrawal from the race,could still end up on the council. Since hesubmitted his candidacy application on Sunday, theday before he withdrew, his name will still appearon North House ballots.

Lo and Grove reportedly tried to reach Fineupwards of ten times last night, offering to takehis name off the ballot.

But Fine returned none of those calls, thusmaintaining his chance to be elected.

Anger suggested the dissolution of the councilas a possible solution to "rampant corruption."

But perhaps it won't come to that. Garzaexpressed a more optimistic view of the future ofthe council--as long as students cast their votescarefully this week.

"I hope that students did and will take thetime out these next few days to think about theleadership they want on the council and voteaccordingly," she said.

Melissa Lee contributed to the reporting ofthis story.