The expenses
of preparation, printing and mailing of the enclosed form of proxy and
accompanying Notice and Proxy Statement will be borne by the Fund. The
Fund will reimburse banks, brokers and others for their reasonable expenses
in forwarding proxy solicitation material to the beneficial owners of
the shares of the Fund.
In order to obtain the necessary quorum at
the Meeting (i.e., a majority of the shares of each class of the Funds
securities entitled to vote at the Meeting, present in person or by proxy),
supplementary solicitation may be made by mail, telephone, telegraph or
personal interview by officers of the Fund. The Fund has retained D.F.
King & Co., Inc. to assist in the solicitation of proxies at a cost
to the Fund of approximately $3,500, plus out-of-pocket expenses.
All shares represented by properly executed proxies, unless
such proxies have previously been revoked, will be voted at the Meeting
in accordance with the directions on the proxies; if no direction is indicated,
the shares will be voted FOR
the Director nominees and FOR
the ratification of the independent auditors.
With respect to Item 1. Election
of Directors,
holders of AMPS, voting separately as a class, are entitled to elect the
two Directors designated above and holders of Common Stock and AMPS, voting
together as a single class, are entitled to elect the remaining Directors.
Assuming a quorum is present, (i) election of the two Directors to be
elected by the holders of AMPS, voting separately as a class, will require
a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of AMPS, represented at the
Meeting and entitled to vote: (ii) election of the remaining Directors
will require a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of Common Stock
and the AMPS represented at the Meeting and entitled to vote, voting together
as a single class.
With respect to Item 2. Ratification
of the Selection of Independent Auditors,
assuming a quorum is present, approval will require the affirmative vote
of a majority of the votes cast by the holders of shares of Common Stock
and the AMPS represented present in person or by proxy at the Meeting
and entitled to vote, voting together as a single class.
Broker-dealer firms, including Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S),
holding Fund shares in street
name for
the benefit of their customers and clients, will request the instructions
of such customers and clients on how to vote their shares on each Item
before the Meeting. The Fund understands that, under the rules of the
New York Stock Exchange, such broker-dealer firms may, without instructions
from their customers and clients, grant authority to the proxies designated
to vote on the election of Directors (Item 1) and ratification of the
selection of independent auditors (Item 2) if no instructions have been
received prior to the date specified in the broker-dealer firms request
for voting instructions. The Fund will include shares held of record by
broker-dealers as to which such authority has been granted in its tabulation
of the total number of votes present for purposes of determining whether
the necessary quorum of stockholders exists. Proxies that are returned
but that are marked abstain
or on which a broker-dealer has declined to vote on any proposal (broker
non-votes)
will be counted as present for the purposes of a quorum. MLPF&S has
advised the Fund that except as limited by agreement or applicable law,
it intends to vote shares held in its name for which no instructions have
been received in the same proportion as the votes received from beneficial
owners of those shares for which instructions have been received, whether
or not held in nominee name. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not
be counted as votes cast. Abstentions and broker non-votes, therefore,
will not have an effect on the vote on Item 1 or Item 2.
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