Nominations for the position of president of the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) will be made when the body hosts its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections of office bearers today from 5:30pm at the Georgetown Sports Club, Camp Street.
Incumbent President Christopher Ram will be ineligible to run for another term given limitations instituted when the body drafted a new constitution at last year’s AGM. Contacted yesterday Ram remarked that he himself agreed to the limitations on the presidency, not wanting anyone person to be left with a stranglehold over the association.
Ram said he is willingly giving up the position not wanting to be considered to be the “Vladimir Putin” of the GLTA.
According to Ram this new constitutional limitation prevents any one individual from being president of the association for more than two terms, whether consecutively or non-consecutively.
According to the current constitution, one term carries the duration of one year since elections are held annually alongside the association’s AGM.
Ram has been at the helm of the GLTA since he first took over its presidency from Wilfred Lee in October 2009. Lee had been president of the association since it had been revived in 2004.
Since being elected Ram was twice re-elected unopposed to the post in 2010 and 2011.
However while he can never again be the president, Ram noted that he has not ruled out serving on the body’s executive in another capacity, though he is not “looking for” any positions.
According to reports, several other positions are also expected to be up for grabs, including that of treasurer, with Treasurer Anita Ramprasad-Shaw having already indicated her reluctance to seek re-election.
Thus far no one has indicated their intentions of looking to head the association, according to current Secretary Ramesh Seebarran.
Apart from Ram, Ramprasad and Seebarran, the current executives include Vice-Presidents Sam Barakat and Nigel Glasgow, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Duane Lopes, Public Relations Officer Sandeep Chand, and committee members Ezra Sue-Ho and Joseph Rayappen.
The electorate will be made up of all registered clubs that have paid their annual dues.
