Delinquent football associations could be barred from GFA vote

Ian Alves 
Ian Alves 

With several associations failing to stage their constitutionally required electoral congresses this year, GFF acting General Secretary Ian Alves, disclosed that the federation’s Electoral Committee will ultimately decide which associations are in good standing and will be able to exercise their franchise today.

This was disclosed by Alves in an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport.

Alves declared  “That is why we have an electoral committee, all the correspondences have been sent and all the situations have been highlighted to them, they are the experts. The electoral committee will peruse all the documents and decide who is in good standings and who is not.”

Alves further said, “Everything has been submitted to them, they will determine who is in good standing, the GFA was not sanctioned at the time of the submissions. They will look at the documents and determine, they have asked us (GFF) to give them all the documents and will make that determination prior to the congress date.”

The electoral committee comprises Chairman Charles Corbin, Raphael Jackman and Seepaul Narine. 

Among the associations that have failed to stage their respective elections despite being constitutionally required were Beach, Futsal, Referees Council, Berbice and the Upper Demerara Football Associations.

Asked if the GFA which is scheduled to host their election today will be allowed to vote at the GFF elections  (November 9th) given that they did not submit a list of delegates in the stipulated timeframe of November 1st, Alves said, “It’s unfortunate that the GFA electoral meeting comes after the date for submission of the delegates that will be able to attend the GFF Elections. It (date) was according to the constitution and constitutionally required deadline. More than likely the GFA will not be able to vote because they were not constitutionally correct at the time,”

He further declared that the date of the GFA Election (November 2nd) and the date (November 1st) for submission of Member Delegates to attend the GFF Elections (November 9th) was purely coincidental.

He added, “The respective two dates with regards to GFA election, and the GFF congress being held is constitutionally bounded and has nothing to do with one another.”