GRFC calls on GFF to postpone Congress and Saturday’s elections

The Guyana Football Referees Council (GRFC) has written to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), calling for the postponement of the Congress and elections that are scheduled for Saturday.

The GRFC, which is headed by Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Alfred King, has taken this position based on the April 7 meeting between the GFF and its 11 affiliates. At that meeting the GFF admitted breaching Articles 25 (2), (3) of its constitution where the Executive Committee of the GFF “shall fix a place and date…and its “members notified in writing at least six weeks in advance” of the Congress/Elections.

Colin Klass

In the letter dated April 11 the GFRC asks that the GFF refer to: (a) Annual Ordinary Congress dated March 9, 2010 received March 15, 2011; (b) Nominations submitted to GFF, dated Friday and Saturday March 18 & 19, 2011, respectively and (c) GFF Constitution.

Further it was noted in the letter, “It is well established and was accepted by the President Mr. C. Klass at a special meeting held on Thursday April 7, 2011 at 12:00 hrs at the GFF boardroom, that there was a breach of the Constitution – Article 25.2, in relation to notice given to members for the Ordinary Congress.

“In light of the breach the GFRC is recommending that consideration be given for the postponement of the Congress until the breach is corrected.”

Previously, the GFF had stated that despite the breach the elections would go ahead as planned and a decision made at the congress on whether Georgetown and Linden would have been given voting rights.

After this decision president of the GFF Colin Klass met with representatives of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) and Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) to disclose that they will receive constitutional rights, pending the submission of certain documents.

Stabroek Sport learnt that the GFA and UDFA have to submit their constitutions, audited financial reports for 2010, lists of executive members, lists of registered players, banks statements, calendars of events for 2011 and the Minutes of their last Annual General Meeting to the executive committee of the GFF.

Following the receipt of those documents, it was learnt that the bodies will be granted their full constitutional rights.