"The intention of the constitution isn't tohave an omnibus bill," Gabay said. "[It's] to givestudents a voice to combat paternalistic effortsand pick what they want to see."
Gabay accused Davis of "manipulating studentdiscontent" about the term bill hike in order toget the other four issues on a referendum.
Davis called the charges "an insult to theintelligence of Harvard students to say that theycan't read five questions and say they want avote."
During the discussion, moderator Sarah Bianchi'95 moved the panelists to talk about thecouncil's role on campus, and Gabay and Davis wereno less divided.
Davis said he council has been silent on issuesof importance to students, such as the ROTCdebate.
Gabay defended the council's record in servingstudent wishes, pointing to council efforts toextend Science Center stockroom hours and tolengthen the time the Coop allows forundergraduates to return books.
Michael P. Beys '94, former council chair whosat in the audience, asked how Davis and WhitneyD. Pidot '96, another panelist, could "justify thearrogance to claim to know better than 80 or 81representatives."
Pidot, the president of the Salient, respondedtersely.
"The question is backwards," Pidot said. "Thequestion I'm puzzled by is why the U.C. feels itknows better than the student body."
Winthrop House Committee Co-Chair Nathaniel F.Grove '95 was also on last night's panel.
The debate was held by the Harvard PoliticalUnion and co-sponsored by the council and TheCrimson.