Constitution

Article 1 – Name

The name of the Association shall be the World Association for Public Opinion Research: Asia Pacific Chapter (hereinafter referred to as “WAPOR Asia Pacific” or “the Association”).

 

Article 2 – Purposes and Functions
2.1 – In line with the World Association for Public Opinion Research (hereinafter referred to as “WAPOR”), the aims and objectives of WAPOR Asia Pacific are:

• To promote in each country or region in Asia Pacific the right to conduct and publish scientific research on what the people and its groups think and how this thinking is influenced by various factors;
• To promote the knowledge and application of scientific methods in this objective;
• To assist and promote the development and publication of public opinion research in Asia Pacific;
• To promote worldwide the publication of public opinion research on Asia Pacific; and
• To promote international cooperation and exchange among academic and commercial researchers, journalists and political actors, as well as between the representatives of the different scientific disciplines.

2.2 – Functions and activities of WAPOR Asia Pacific include, but are not limited to, organizing and sponsoring meetings and publications, encouraging high professional standards, promoting improved research techniques, informing journalists about the appropriate forms of publishing poll results, observing the democratic process and use of polls in elections, tracking and promoting the freedom to conduct and publish opinion polls, promoting personnel training, coordinating international polls, and maintaining close relations with other research agencies. Such agencies include, but are not limited to, the agencies mentioned in the constitution of WAPOR.

 

Article 3 – Membership

3.1 – Membership in the Association shall be as individual persons, not as representatives of organizations, nations, or other groups.

3.2 – Membership shall be open to all persons who have an interest in the conduct, use, or teaching of scientific opinion and attitude surveys, social science research, media or communications research, market research, or related activities in Asia Pacific and who subscribe to and follow the WAPOR Code of Professional Ethics and Practices. Only individual members in good standing shall have the right to vote and hold office in WAPOR Asia Pacific.

3.3 – Membership in WAPOR Asia Pacific shall not be denied on the basis of ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, religion, nationality, or political affiliation.

3.4 – Dues shall be fixed by the WAPOR Asia Pacific Council and payable in a manner determined by the Council. Paid dues provide membership on a calendar-year basis, January 1 – December 31, regardless of when in the year the membership is paid. To be eligible to vote for an office, a member shall have paid their dues 30 days before the start of the election.

 

Article 4 – Council, Executive Committee, Advisory Board, Central Secretariat

4.1 – WAPOR Asia Pacific shall have a Council, an Executive Committee and an Advisory Board. The Council shall consist of six Executive Committee Members – President, Past President, Vice President and President-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Conference Chair and Liaison Chair – and Local Representatives appointed by the Executive Committee among full members to represent each country or region in WAPOR Asia Pacific.

4.2 – The Council, by majority vote of all its members, shall conduct the business and care for the general interests of the Association. It shall meet at least once a year in connection with the annual conference. The President shall invite the Council with a preliminary agenda at least two weeks before the meeting. In between the council meetings, the Executive Committee will conduct the business and care for the general interests of the Association.

4.3 – The Executive Committee will meet as often as it deems necessary. The President shall decide if the Executive Committee or the Council will deal with respective matters, and the Executive Committee may, by majority vote, decide to submit matters to the full Council. The President must send the minutes of the Executive Committee meetings to Council members in a timely manner. The Council and the Executive Committee can make decisions between meetings via mail, phone, fax, or email or other electronic means of communication. Decisions by the Council and by the Executive Committee require a majority of their respective members.

4.4 – Council may act on all routine matters on its own authority, but is at all times responsible to the membership for its actions, any of which may be revoked by a majority decision of the members in a general referendum instituted after the written appeal of at least 25% of members, and that at least 25% of members participate in the referendum.

4.5 – All local representatives shall be appointed as Council Members by the Executive Committee for a period of two years. Retiring local representatives shall be eligible for re-appointment.

4.6 – The President shall be responsible for fulfilling the purposes of WAPOR Asia Pacific as its chief representative. S/He shall preside at Council, Executive Committee, and the business meeting, and serve as the official representative of WAPOR Asia Pacific in its relations with other organizations and the public. S/He shall report from time to time to the membership about his or her activities and the activities of the Council and the Executive Committee during the year.

4.7 – The Vice President and President-Elect shall act as the President’s deputy. S/He shall automatically become President the following term. S/He shall take over the Presidency if the office becomes vacant.

4.8 – The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for collecting revenues of WAPOR Asia Pacific – except membership dues that are collected by WAPOR and sent to WAPOR Asia Pacific — for administering the funds of WAPOR Asia Pacific, and for performing such other duties as the Council may prescribe. S/He shall prepare and distribute to all members a report at each Council and Business Meeting and shall submit an annual report to the membership covering his or her activities for the year and the financial situation of WAPOR Asia Pacific at the end of the fiscal year.

4.9 – The Conference Chair shall be responsible for the program and the administrative arrangements of all WAPOR Asia Pacific conferences including the annual conferences, and for coordination with other organizations sharing the conference site.

4.10 – The Liaison Chair shall be responsible for all contacts and discussions with Local Representatives of WAPOR Asia Pacific to promote the mission of WAPOR Asia Pacific in their geographical areas, and with other associations including other Regional Chapters of WAPOR.

4.11 – The Advisory Board shall comprise all previous Presidents who no longer sit the Executive Committee, plus all recipients of WAPOR Asia Pacific Lifetime Achievement Awards made by the Association. The Advisory Board provides advice on all matters referred to it by the Executive Committee, and all proposed constitution revisions initiated by the Council before they are voted by members.

4.12 – The President may create, with the advice and consent of the Council, such Special Committees as s/he deems necessary to carry out the purposes and operations of WAPOR Asia Pacific, such as public relations, personnel training and exchange, international polls, research development, assistance with administration, and the conduct and use of polls in elections. Each Special Committee shall consist of a Chair, appointed by the President and approved by Council, and up to six members, selected by the Chair. It shall serve a limited term of no more than two years. The Chairs of the Special Committees can attend Council meetings by invitation, but have no voting right unless they are themselves Council Members.

4.13 – A central secretariat (hereinafter referred to as the “WAPOR Asia Pacific Secretariat” or “the Secretariat”) shall be established and shall be located in such country or city as the Council may determine. The location of the Secretariat is therefore independent of either the country or place of incorporation of WAPOR Asia Pacific. The Secretariat shall be responsible, by delegation from the Council, for the administration of the day-to-day affairs of WAPOR Asia Pacific as the Council may prescribe.

4.14 – The Secretariat shall be placed under the direction of a General Secretary appointed by the Council, and assisted by such supporting staff as may be deemed necessary. The General Secretary shall, in cooperation with person(s) authorized by the WAPOR Council, make sure that the membership records are maintained properly and support WAPOR Asia Pacific’s archives, assist with the administration of WAPOR Asia Pacific, and conduct routine correspondence. A member of the Council may simultaneously serve as General Secretary.

4.15 – The term of office for all Council and Committee members shall be two years. The Vice President and President-Elect shall be elected in odd-numbered years; the Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected in even-numbered years. The Conference Chair and the Liaison Chair shall be appointed by the President and approved by the other three members of the Executive Committee, to serve a one-year or two-year term starting any year. The Vice President, upon completion of a two-year term, will automatically become President for a two-year term, after which s/he will serve for two years as Past President. Terms start on January 1.

4.16 – No one may hold more than one elective office at one time. Should any person be elected to two or more offices at the same time, s/he must resign from all but one.

4.17 – Council and Committee members shall be chosen in such a way that, as much as possible, all geographical sections and other interests among the membership shall have fair and equitable representation. Specifically, the President and the Vice President and President-Elect should not be residents of the same country.

4.18 – All vacancies, except the Presidency, occurring between elections shall be appointed by the President, giving first consideration to the next highest ranking candidates at the time of election. At the next regular election a candidate shall be elected to fill each unexpired or regular term.

 

Article 5 – Voting and Conduct of Business

5.1 – Decisions by Membership, Council, Executive Committee, and Committees shall be by a majority of votes. In order to give all members equal voice in WAPOR Asia Pacific, regardless of their geographical location or ability to attend meetings, voting on all elections and matters of basic policy may be carried out by mail, fax, email or other electronic means of communication. Questions raised by two or more Council members as matter of basic policy and supported by any twenty full members in good standing must be referred to a vote by the full membership. In case of a tie in the full membership vote, the Council shall cast the deciding vote on the side favored by a majority of Council members.

5.2 – All membership referenda, including elections and other questions, shall be conducted by the General Secretary upon written request from the Electoral Committee, which shall comprise the Past President as the chair. The Electoral Committee and the General Secretary shall conduct the election in a manner that allows for a maximum participation of members and protection of privacy, following whatever guidelines are issued by the Council.

5.3 – For the annual election of Executive Committee members a call for nominations must be sent out to all full members no later than October 1 in a separate email. Open nomination shall be conducted for any 4 consecutive weeks ending no later than November 1. Giving first consideration to the suggestions by membership and taking into account the eligibility, availability, and qualifications of the candidates suggested and the necessary geographical distribution, the Electoral Committee shall prepare a slate of nominations, presenting two or more candidates for each office. All candidates must be WAPOR and also WAPOR Asia Pacific members in good standing. These shall include all qualified nominees with twenty or more votes on the nomination canvass. These nominations shall be submitted by email to the regular membership for vote no later than November 15. The Electoral Committee will take provisions to ensure that voters can be identified as members in good standing but that the anonymity of their vote is protected. Votes received within four weeks of the ballot’s submission to members shall be valid. The Chair of the Electoral Committee will immediately inform the candidates (winners and losers) and the Council. The announcement has to take place before December 15. The winner will be announced on the WAPOR Asia Pacific homepage and via email.

5.4 – A Business Meeting shall be held once a year to discuss business or professional matters. The place and time of such a Business Meeting should coincide with the annual conference. The purpose of the Business Meeting is to keep members updated on current affairs of the WAPOR Asia Pacific, to present reports by officers, and to give the attending members a chance to discuss matters they deem important. No binding votes will be taken at the Business Meeting.

 

Article 6 – Treasury

6.1 – The financial year of WAPOR Asia Pacific shall coincide with the calendar year.

6.2 – The Secretary-Treasurer shall submit to the Council an annual report that includes the balance of WAPOR Asia Pacific’s financial situation and an estimated budget for the coming year.

6.3 – The expenditure of funds from WAPOR Asia Pacific’s Treasury to meet routine expenses, such as clerical costs, stationery, postage, and other budget commitments, shall be made by the Secretary-Treasurer. All other financial commitments must be considered matters of basic policy and submitted to the Council. The Council shall decide which of these matters must be subject to approval by the full membership.

 

Article 7 – Language

7.1 – The official language of WAPOR Asia Pacific shall be English. The Executive Committee decides upon the working language or languages to be used at each international meeting.

 

Article 8 – Amendments

8.1 – Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by actions of the WAPOR Asia Pacific Council after consulting the Advisory Board, or petition of at least 25% of members. Amendments may be made by the vote of a majority of all members who participate in a referendum by mail, fax, email or other electronic means of communication approved by the WAPOR Asia Pacific Council and whose votes are received within four weeks of the ballot’s submission, provided that at least 25% of members participate in the referendum. Amendments that are inconsistent with WAPOR’s goals and objectives, or contrary to the policies and purposes of WAPOR, will result in the revoking of WAPOR’s recognition of WAPOR Asia Pacific.

 

Article 9 – Termination

9.1 – WAPOR Asia Pacific shall be considered dissolved upon termination of the Constitution by an absolute majority vote on a referendum or upon its failure to hold a Council or general meeting for three consecutive years. Funds remaining in the Treasury at that time will be turned over to WAPOR, unless other provision is made legally for their disposition.