Act courageously to break stranglehold

Apr 07, 2013 Sports

By Rawle Welch
As we head towards the landmark day of April 12, the date chosen for the staging of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Electoral Congress, participants, administrators of the sport, and relevant stakeholders must take full advantage of the opportunity provided by the FIFA / CONCACAF team that mandated the local governing body to restore voting rights to previously denied affiliates.
They must act courageously to break the stranglehold that the current executive of the GFF has applied to the management of the sport for over two decades, a period that is perceived to be governed by fear and unaccountability.
The ‘cash for votes’ scandal in which at least three members of the GFF were implicated and subsequently punished by FIFA, served as a blessing in disguise since it gave aggrieved members, mainly the Georgetown Football Association (GFA), an opportunity to test the legality of the GFF’s decision to deny its largest affiliate the right to vote in its Electoral Congress.
The Vernon Burnett-led GFA decided it was time to challenge the GFF on the longstanding crisis by taking the matter to Court. Previous administrations felt too intimidated to confront the issue.
The move was met with much consternation by the GFF whose covert attempts to apply pressure and the issuance of warnings of harsh penalties being instituted on the petitioner by them and FIFA / CONCACAF failed miserably. It never happened.
The difference this time was that Colin Klass was serving a 26-month suspension imposed by FIFA for his role in the scandal, while the resignation of FIFA / CONCACAF ‘strongman’ Jack Warner, who many felt had sheltered Klass previously, left the Federation, perhaps for the first time, defenseless against a GFA that did not cower to their actions and kept the matter in Court.
The threats of suspension to clubs, players and match officials, though, shameful, was met with courage by the GFA that had argued that it was in its right to organise football within Georgetown as mandated by its constitution, and was not prepared to cave in to any act of intimidation by the GFF that had operated unconstitutionally in denying them the right to vote.
FiFA /CONCACAF came earlier this year and not only did they restore the voting rights of the GFA, but made it clear that no penalties would be inflicted on any party, while the staging of elections was also urged to establish normalcy and trust.
What has occurred since is anything but, as the atmosphere has been saturated with rancor, whilst the determined stance to remain silent on the financial proceeds derived from switching the Mexico World Cup encounter are all unhelpful developments.
The Body seems more entrenched than ever before to retain its old representation by any means necessary, a trait that could prove costly in five days time.
It is expected that during any election period, the frame of mind of candidates is geared to outdo each other via what is contained in their respective manifestos, so those nominated to act on behalf of their constitutiences should be guided by the release of those policy disclosures.
The restoration of voting rights must be taken advantage of so that the demons that still linger menacingly over the sport’s landscape could be exorcised once and for all.
The candidate that is willing to initiate constitutional reform, protect and respect the rights of clubs and players, displays a willingness to account to stakeholders (players, clubs, government and corporate community) and govern impartially, should be the one to enjoy the next term of office.

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Act courageously to break stranglehold

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