08.31.07
This Just in: Sweden’s Vote on OOXML Nullified Due to That So-called ”Bribery” Incident (Updatedx3)
Here is the article in Swedish and here is some interpretation in English:
The swedish working group at SIS, Swedish Standards Institute, Document description languages SIS/TK 321/AG 17, decided in a vote on August 27, 2007, to vote yes to making Office Open XML an ISO standard. Today, the board of SIS decided to invalidate the vote.
The reason for the board’s decision is that the SIS has information indicating that one of the participants of the working group cast more than one vote. This is not compatible with SIS rules, which stipulate that each project sponsor has only one vote. Thus, the decision has been taken solely based on SIS rules. The decision does not reflect a position on the subject matter.
Furthermore, the board considers it impossible for practical and formal reasons for the Swedish working group to arrange a new vote before September 2, 2007, when the global vote will be finished. If a new Swedish vote cannot be arranged, Sweden will abstain from voting.
Let’s hope that we’ll be seeing the same steps being taken in other countries where we know the same type of plot took place, namely:
- Colombia
- Denmark
- Germany
- Norway
- Portugal
…Possibly Switzerland as well. In all the countries above, the story was pretty much the same as Sweden’s. There are more countries like that, but we just haven’t come across the ‘smoking gun’ proof.
Update: here is the report from Norway. It is a concrete piece of the puzzle which we have been missing until now.
Update #2: Denmark too.
I have the latest news from Denmark, where Groklaw member elhaard tells me that the recent news about irregularities in the OOXML voting process in Sweden has caused a reaction now in Denmark. It appears that pressure was put on partners there as well,
Update #3: Hungary was mentioned earlier in a similar context. The ‘funny’ OOXML business in that country finally receives attention elsewhere.
peter Schleuss said,
August 31, 2007 at 5:25 am
update #4:
Switzerland: according to Wochenzeitung #35 of 30.08.2007 the ballot will have to be repeated on 1.9.2007 cause of ‘improper’ procedures during the first ballot which had been held on the 28.08.2007 by the SNV (Schweizerische Normenvereinigung) . BTW: The outcome of the first ballot seems to have been in favor of OOXML…….
Roy Schestowitz said,
August 31, 2007 at 7:47 am
Thanks, Peter. That’s excellent news. Overall, however, the ISO and the global vote seems to be a case of a system broken beyond repair.
All in all, seeing open admission of improper voting is important too.