The International Student Council announced Monday night that it is supporting two write-in candidates for international student Senate seats in an attempt to prevent Casey Powers, intrafraternity senator, from gaining one of the seats.

Suresh Chekuri, one of the current international senators, and Julio Speroni, an international student, will be running as write-ins for the two Government of the Student Body Senate international seats.

“[Powers] doesn’t know our needs and he can’t represent us,” Chekuri said, adding that he is running “to make sure that our voice isn’t lost.”

Powers, who spoke at the ISC meeting, said he believes he can represent a student from China “just as well as a student from Spain can represent a student from China.”

Powers is from Pocahontas, Iowa. The GSB Constitution does not mandate that an international senator actually be an international student.

“I have a sincere desire to serve you,” Powers told the ISC.

He said that he was misquoted in the Daily last week as saying “I think the seat should not exist.” Powers said what he actually said was, “I don’t believe in these seats because of how they’re apportioned.”

Powers said international students get triple representation for residence, college and international Senate seats.

But, as Chekuri pointed out, international students must forfeit their votes for a senator in the college elections to vote for a candidate running for one of the international seats.

Bonnie Rivera, ISC finance director, distributed copies of a Senate bill from last year, signed by Powers, that called for the removal of the “International Student Senator” section from the GSB Constitution. The bill was eventually withdrawn.

Powers said he initially supported the bill but later changed his mind. “I don’t believe these seats should be gone,” Powers said.

Powers, who said he doesn’t expect international students will vote for him, told students at the ISC meeting that if he is elected he will come to every ISC meeting. Powers also made a promise. He said if ISC passes a resolution “saying that you do not want me to represent you, I will step down.”

ISC officials were still skeptical.

Rivera said ISC will focus on getting its candidates elected. “It’s going to take the whole organization” campaigning and supporting the two write-in candidates to get them elected, she said. “We do have enough votes if we go out there … to put these two people in those seats.”

Despite saying he doesn’t trust Powers, Chekuri said Powers has every right to run for the seat. “I believe all students are international students,” he said.

But Powers “hasn’t made any effort to get to know what we do at ISC,” Chekuri said.