It's highly unfair to let the chiefs bypass this. You see the person from your own eyes, you see what they act around you. Not what they act like around others.
Anyone should go through the same process, but let's say there's an emergency to promote someone to an acting position because it's urgently needed, then a public statement would be nice.
This shouldn't be allowed for full time promotions.
We also expected to vote for other CoDs, but a lot of us were highly disappointed and felt as if it was unfair. Even if it may not be true, to us it felt like YOU chose the chiefs because of your personal opinions about them. Not because WE needed them. We all know if the community had a vote Tom wouldn't have gotten his rank for 12h.