Returning Officer at last month’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) Dr. Karen Pilgrim yesterday denied that objections were raised about the validity of clubs exercising their franchise prior to the election of office bearers for the 2013-2017 term of office. Last month’s AGM of the AAG saw Colin Boyce being defeated by Aubrey Hutson by six votes to three in a straight battle for presidency of the AAG.
Boyce later filed an injunction stating that three clubs, Rising Stars Track Club, Bedford Athletic Club and Royal Youth Movement were in violation of some aspects of the AAG constitution.
Dr. Pilgrim was responding to a Kaieteur Sports article yesterday which sought to give the impression that former AAG president Boyce did attempt to point out that a number of the clubs at the AGM were in violation of the AAG constitution and therefore illegitimate and should not have been allowed to vote..
“Kaieteur Sport was present at the 2013 elections and during the voting process, Boyce reportedly sought to bring the illegitimacy of those clubs to the attention of the returning Officer, Dr. Karen Pilgrim, but an intervention came from General Secretary, Claude Blackmore, who said that Boyce had previous occasion to deal with that issue,” the newspaper stated.
However, Dr Pilgrim, Technical Vice President of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) yesterday disputed the newspaper’s version of what transpired. Pilgrim told Stabroek Sport that she remembered the January 20th elections are normal in every way without any major disputes.
She recalls that the names of the clubs and corresponding representatives were announced on several occasions but at no time did anyone present object to the constitutionality of the clubs. Dr. Pilgrim said that she specifically remembered openly asking if the status of all the clubs present was “okay” and got an affirmative answer from members of the head table which included Boyce. Several times during the lengthy process, Dr. Pilgrim stated that open questions were asked to ensure that all clubs and administrators approved of the proceedings. There was ample time for such objections according to Dr. Pilgrim, who stated that if in fact they were made, they were “not made in my presence. Nothing was brought to my attention.”
The only issues which were raised according Dr. Pilgrim were the minor clarification of the classification of the Upper Demerara club and the conditions for electing a notified officer in absentia.
After the electoral process, Dr. Pilgrim says she recalls that Boyce returned to the head table, still without raising any qualms as to the validity of the process.
Dr. Pilgrim said yesterday that she was in fact invited to oversee the process by none other than Boyce himself.
