The Gaddafi of Guyana’s Football Must Go

Apr 07, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I am heartened that Mr. Orin Davis has taken time out to comment of the state of play at the GFF. The president has skillfully remained in office for over two decades by continuously manipulating the system, knowing that the majority who attain voting rights are deficient capacity wise.
The leadership of most football clubs lack the constitutional know -how, but these form the nerve of the Associations whose two representatives vote at the GFF’s AGM’s and General Council Meetings. The current president likes such a situation because he benefits from this known weakness.
The GFF is supposed to be facilitating the growth and development of football in twelve Associations, inclusive of coaches, women and referees, across Guyana via policy directives. However, from time immemorial they have never been able to get all of these twelve affiliates to be functional together at any given time and this is under the watch of Mr. Klass and adds to his credit. They are accessible parts of Guyana where no competitive football is played but the GFF will show greater interest in traveling hundreds of miles to ensure votes are secured by ensuing that a sponsor is on board for a trusted Association.  This should be the same in all parts of the country.
The president election season at the GFF is critical to the take off of football in Guyana. We are all fully aware of the resource issue the FF is faced with and this is compounded with the lack of face in the GFF, which continues to plague the present executives. These persons can hardly hold an audience hence, very few want to be stake holders take them seriously, resulting in the nurturing of the complain syndrome.
Now that the staggered elections are but a few weeks away the trickery of Mr. Klass his friends is in full swing. It began in December 2010, when the deficient General Council agreed with Mr. Klass to adopt a new Constitution for the GFF that was prepared in Europe. Based on the size of the brains that were put to use on that day only fifteen words were changed from what was written by one hundred and twenty five European Lawyers. That is what a Guyana and the GFF has adopted and came into force January 1st 2011.
It must be noted that no rules nor regulations accompanied same thus the General Council did then or now agreed on how the GFF is to be regulated , including the rules for election . But the president without these rules wants elections; this is contrary to the national precedence, where by the National Local Government elections were not held because the stake holders have not yet agreed to all the rules and regulations governing those elections.
But just who is responsible for these elections the Officers who seek office or an independent body? I am aware that directives for this election continue to come from the office (GFF) but the General Secretary, who now serves at the pleasure of the president (alone) according to the new Constitution, runs the office while the current president seeks reelection. All to Mr. Klass’s credit! The Office along with Mr. Klass determines who will vote and who will not even in the absence of agreed rules, but rather in the personal interest. A few cases in point are the intimidation of the Berbice Association about its structure, now because it nominated a candidate to rival Mr. Klass, but last year they were allowed to vote at General Council for the new constitution.
The other case in point is the treatment of Linden and Georgetown Associations who have not been give voting rights because they had interim management some time ago. The fact is there is no other football grouping in the country that is more functional and productive than Georgetown, so what s the reason to get them out – except the treat of an emerging challenges. No other Association has ran off more than three successful tournaments in 2010 and GT has ran more than eight, but those that only ran one or non, got voting rights because the dance to the tunes  played by Mr. Klass.
The fact that those who will give you a challenge can’t vote they cannot nominate thus Mr.Klass wishes to be returned unopposed- the politics of old, accompanied with the notion of institutional memory. I submit that a new brand of executive will benefit from national good will and will be able to draw down on the resources that stand idle waiting to be unrealized. As it stands only three of the Association may have legally nominated candidates, but who are the other fully constituted Associations- what Apathy that does not affect Mr. Klass. An external example is the present structure of Caricom, where only about four of the thirteen members are fully constituted according to statute, but even those who are in some breach are active in the search to find the new secretary General  and are nominating their candidate. This is because the objective of the organization is to integrate and build, not isolate and demoralize.
For those who presently lead the GFF anyone or group that brings change and or challenge is viewed as the enemy and is despised, hence ,the  likes of Mr. Hutson  and Major will be acceptable(more of the same), while names like  Mr. King , the Secretary of GT  and Berbice (new views)will be scorned. I want to advise on the side of caution that Associations can apply for full membership via motion at the Congress but they must ensure that they are allowed the right to nominate candidates on that day.  The hour of change has arrived, look less thee be cheated again, it is time to change the guard or Gaddafi’s grip on the destruction of football in Guyana will continue.
R  Sandy

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