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MP calls on Sports Minister to curb impulse of Ministerial control and intervention
Kaieteur News – In a letter dated January 22nd, 2021, APNU, AFC Shadow Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport, and Member of Parliament (MP), Jermaine Figueira called for the Autonomy of Sports Associations and Federations in Guyana; Rejection of Ministerial Control and Intervention. This was in response to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Press Statement dated 6th December, 2020.
MP Figueira in his missive described the MCYS statement as “an affront to, and makes a mockery of democracy, violates international conventions which are based on governments non-intervention in sport.”
Citing that the “Ministers ludicrous statement should be a wakeup call to all other sports disciplines and administrators…” to guard against any control and domination agenda. The MPs letter noted that, “The APNU+AFC vehemently condemns attempts by Mr. Ramson to weaponize the use of state resources to settle political scores with citizens and thereby seek to dominate and control bodies that must be independent of government and all politics.”
“Is the Minister comfortable with destroying the autonomy of sports associations and federations in Guyana? Is he aware that sport is one area of activity that unites our people and that his…actions will destroy that unity that characterizes sport in Guyana over the years? Is the Minister so partisan and insensitive that he cannot appreciate the positive role that sport plays in our society when there is good governance and political non-intervention in sport in our society?”
Figueira stated that, “Guyana cannot allow this sports minister to bring disorder to sport. Mr. Ramson should desist from interfering in sport. Let our sport associations and federations continue to be autonomous and govern themselves based on transparency, accountability and the rule of law and not based on the wishes of any political directorate.
The duly elected officials in football, athletics, basketball and all sports must be allowed, in keeping with their rules and regulations, to discipline their members for participating in unsanctioned tournaments.”
“The APNU+AFC urges the Minister to curb his interventionist and authoritarian instincts.
The Minister must know that FIFA and other sports governing bodies will not tolerate a situation in which international football or its local principals will not get the use of the Nations Stadium…. Such behavior is unacceptable in sport and is repugnant to established rules and regulations in international sport.”
He further noted that, “The APNU+AFC supports accountability in sport and wants to see the challenges in cricket resolved rationally, and with the involvement of all stake holders, and not by the demonizing of administrators or by the withholding of state resources to individual associations/federations. These different bodies have Constitutions and Rules let their members exhaust them to the benefit of the Sport.
We urge the Minister to recognize that the role of the Ministry is to create an enabling environment for sport to flourish in Guyana and not domination and control,” the MPs missive concluded.
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