By Michaelangelo Jacobus
The Electoral Committee (EC) of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has backpedalled on its initial decision to strip Santos FC, Police FC, Western Tigers FC and the West Demerara Football Association of their voting rights for not being in good standing as members of the GFF.
On December 2, just a week before today’s elections, the EC had released the list of members eligible to vote at the Extraordinary Congress and those it deemed as “Not in Good Standing”. Seen by many as an attempt by the current GFF administration to strong-arm the electoral process in favour of the incumbent President Wayne Forde, the days following the EC’s announcement brought an outcry of ‘foul’ from the challenger Franklin Wilson and the clubs that were affected. There was even a picketing exercise on Wednesday (December 6) and an exchange of appeals from Wilson and two of the clubs.
In correspondence seen by Stabroek Sport dated December 7th, GFF’s General Secretary Ian Alves relayed the EC’s decision to the various Presidents.
“Further to the communication of the Electoral Committee on the issue of ‘Good Standing’ that was disseminated on the 2nd December, 2023, The Electoral Committee of the GFF wish to note as follows:
Whilst the four members mentioned remain not in Good Standing with the obligations as it relates to Membership of GFF, the Committee will revisit its decision to restrict the four members, namely:
(1) West Demerara Football Association
(2) Guyana Police Force Football Club
(3) Western Tigers Football Club
(4) Santos Football Club
from voting at Elections. As such, the General Secretary of the GFF will invite these four clubs to have their delegates participate in Item 7 of the Agenda”.
Item 7 of the ‘Agenda’ (inset) is ‘Election of the GFF Council’.
The reason for the decision according to the letter is a result of “continual discussions with the relevant officials, which culminated in a meeting that was convened on the 6th December, 2023. Whilst there were appeals filed by two of the Members and an Interested Party, we pause to note that the revisiting of the decision is in the absence of there being a constituted Appeals Committee of the GFF”.
In an invited comment on the situation, Wilson told Stabroek Sports; “We are happy that FIFA has stepped in and brought clarity and justice to this situation of the voting rights of members.
“Contrary to what was stated by Mr. Wayne Forde, no one from our slate has attacked the integrity of the Electoral Committee. Instead, we have challenged the Electoral Committee’s jurisdiction to suspend functioning members of the GFF. FIFA’s intervention has brought justice to an attempt by the Forde Administration to deny the rights of legitimate members to vote. The way they have had to work and rewrite correspondence to members is evidence of how that strategy was detected and exposed”.
Looking ahead to today’s election, Wilson declared; “True integrity is not talk, it is allowing the democratic process to take place and ensuring members are allowed to vote. In the end, we must all abide by the decision at the polls once fairly contested”.
“And though we are very wary of the shenanigans of the GFF Secretariat we trust in Almighty God and put our best steps forward for Guyana’s football”, he concluded.
The 2023 Extraordinary Congress begins at 11 am today at the National Training Centre (NTC), Providence and will conclude with the Election of the GFF Council followed by remarks from the President Elect.
