Tandaabiashara

DCA says it will not accept a negative outcome of the GNP Evaluation if it were demonstrated that such an outcome has been unduly influenced by the views expressed by the ICANN Independent Objector
 
 Even as the results of the Initial Evaluation and the outcome of the evaluation conducted by other specialized ICANN panels are being awaited, we wish to lodge an official complaint to report what we believe is a possible conspiracy of traducement and Campaign of Objection against the .Africa new gTLD application submitted by DotConnectAfrica Trust (Application ID: 1-1165-42560).

 In the latest posting on their website, DotConnectAfrica have penned a new complaint to ICANN “to Report a Possible Conspiracy of Traducement & Campaign of Objection against the .Africa new gTLD Application submitted” This letter contains what DotConnectAfrica views as a conspiracy that “ has been hatched with the objective of derailing DCA’s .Africa new gTLD application.”

This comes immediately after the Independent Objector released his results where though he did not object the application saying:

“the African Union is an established institution representing and associated with a significant part of the targeted community. The African Union Commission is already fully aware of the controversial issues and is better placed than the IO to file an objection, if it deems it appropriate. For these reasons the IO, who is primarily acting as a “safety net”, does not in principle intend to file an objection on the community ground.”

The letter maintains that the Independent objectors action is“ultra vires, and an unnecessary suggestion that could very well interfere with the possible outcome of the work of another duly constituted ICANN body; and entirely contrived to damage the prospects of DCA’s application which is currently under evaluation. We believe that such biased commentary by the Independent Objector has been made to negatively influence the outcome of the Geographic Names Panel Evaluation against DCA’s .Africa new gTLD application.”

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DotConnectAfrica have been fighting the process by which the AU selected applicant was decided upon in what they called massive corruption and the letter notes that:

“It is quite obvious that UniForum has actually attempted to manipulate the Independent Objector to use its own authored comments as the basis of a contrived Community Objection against DCA Trust’s application for the .Africa new gTLD.  According to UniForum’s own testimony, a disparate African Community with separate agendas would unlikely be able to submit a single, coherent objection, and this should be the justification for an objection to DCA’s application by the Independent Objector.”

Uniforum in what DCA claims in an effort to manipulate the Independent Objector for the ICANN new gTLD Program, and even the ICANN leadership, argued:

“If ICANN were to delegate the gTLD to DCA despite the AUC’s endorsement of UniForum, it is likely that the AUC would lose faith in ICANN and its structures.”

This betrayed the fear by DotConnectAfrica who believe that the Independent Objector is not entirely independent in his own analysis of their application..

The letter pokes at the fact that “the IO is still convinced that the application by DCA Trust should not pass the Geographic Names Panel Evaluation”.  (Please see http://www.independent-objector-newgtlds.org/englishversion/the-independent-objector-s-comments-on-controversial-applications/africa-general-comment/).   This means that he is of the idea that the application should fail though he has failed to convince substantially.  

DCA’s letter continues  “Our understanding is that, as far as official involvement in the entire ICANN new gTLD Program is concerned, the Independent Objector is only supposed to concern himself with filing objections on Limited Public Interest Grounds and Community Objections on behalf of the global public who use the Internet”.

 

The Independent Objector has gone beyond the boundaries of his circumscribed responsibilities by publicly expressing his opinion on the anticipated outcome of the assignment that is being carried out by another ICANN Evaluation Panel, whose work is actually independent of the work of the Independent Objector for the ICANN new gTLD Program,  sites DotConnectAfrica in its letter of complaint..

DCA Trust concluded by asserting that it would not accept a negative outcome of the GNP Evaluation if it were demonstrated that such an outcome has been unduly influenced by the views expressed by the ICANN Independent Objector