The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) says there is no clause in their new constitution that debars anyone from running for office and as such, former GFF President Colin Klass is eligible to participate at the impending elections on November 14th.
Klass was banned by the world governing body for a period of 26 months for this involvement in the now infamous 2011 FIFA ‘Cash for Votes Scandal’, which led to the life ban of FIFA Presidential hopeful and challenger to Sepp Blatter’s office Mohammed Bin Hammam.
Several Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials were reprimanded for the scandal including former GFF General Secretary Noel Adonis and current Jamaica Football Federation President and CONCACAF Vice-President Horace Burrell.
According to information emanating from the federation’s Director of Marketing and Communications Rawle Toney:”There’s nothing stopping Colin Klass from returning to football. His ban was over a stipulated period and there was no debarring clause in it that would keep him from showing up on a ‘slate’ at the November AGM.”
He added: “The Constitution clearly states how persons could be eligible for office at the GFF. At no time at any of the constitution reform meetings or adoption, has the issue of ‘debarring’ an individual come up.”
Toney went on:”Like Mr. Klass, Jamaica’s Horace Burrell was banned for six months for his involvement in the infamous 2011 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) ‘cash for votes’ scandal.’
“Over 30 CFU officials were either sanctioned, some of which came with suspension, or received a slap on the wrist. Burrell, after serving his time, though the Ethics Committee had suspended three months out of his ban, returned to the helm of Jamaica’s football.
“The November election is by slate and if an association, or persons believe that football in Guyana has a place for Mr. Klass, or that Mr. Klass could make a contribution to the development of the game, then there’s nothing barring them putting him (Mr. Klass) on their slate.
“It’s up to the congress to vote on which slate has the best possible personnel to take Guyana’s football forward as the Normalization Committee departs,” he added.
With the GFF elections mere weeks away, Odinga Lumumba, Alfred King and former GFF Vice-President Rawlston Adams are reportedly being considered as possible candidates for the Presidential post.
Lumumba, who is a former Presidential Advisor on Empowerment in the previous Peoples Progressive Party (PPP)/Civic government, is the current head of GFF Elite League Club Alpha United and a former general secretary of the Georgetown Football Association.
King is the present head of the Guyana Football Referees Council and a former Presidential hopeful of the GFF at the last election. Adams is a Manager attached to the Demerara Harbour Bridge and a former GFF Vice-President in the Christopher Matthias administration before he subsequently resigned.
Stabroek Sports was unable to contact Klass to ascertain if he would be interested in another term at the helm of Guyana’s football. This newspaper was also unable to find out whether former President Matthias and former GFF Presidential hopeful Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major will contest the polls in any capacity.
Major as well as King and former GFF Vice President Ivan Persaud lost their bid for Presidency of the federation to Matthias following an electoral congress at the Pegasus hotel on April 12th 2013.
