—says Olympic body will be looking to amend its constitution in order to suspend defaulting associations/federations
President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) K. A Juman-Yassin is calling on the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) to hold elections stating that the standing of the local body with respect to its international federation is irrelevant.
GCF president Horace Burrowes recently raised eyebrows when he told this newspaper that the elections, which were constitutionally due since earlier this year, were not important since his association was in good standing with the International Cycling Union (UCI).
“The elections of the GCF is coming up, but I don’t think that is relevant at this time and I think we will speak on this a different time…the discussion could happen over the phone, when I return…I wouldn’t be hard to find,” Burrowes said at a press conference held to announce Guyana as host of the Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships set for August recently.
“I will say again the Guyana Cycling Federation is in very good standing with the UCI and the UCI is the world body and they control the federation or every international federation and I do as UCI say and I go as our constitution says and if UCI says to do certain things then I am doing as UCI say so I am actually going to say I don’t think it is relevant for us to speak on that anymore in terms of the elections,” Burrowes added.
Yassin, however, took the cycling federation boss to task and said that the GOA will be looking to implement measures to curb such impropriety.
Speaking exclusively to Stabroek Sport, the Attorney-at-Law said: “At the moment the constitution of the GOA doesn’t deal with this aspect where associations have failed to call elections but we are now reviewing the constitution and looking at this so that any member who has not called elections we could have them suspended.”
He added: “At the moment, if elections are due and are not called then we may be able to withhold [funding and other incentives from them].”
According to Yassin he is concerned with associations/federations not calling elections in violation of their constitutions.
“I am concerned with this cycling federation and any other federation which have a duty to call elections and have not called it especially if it was so mandated in the constitution…there is an obligation to call elections and if it is not called then there must be some reasonable explanation,” he declared.
The GOA president said that he intends to write to the Guyana Cycling Federation to find out why elections have not been held.
Reacting to Burrowes’ claim that the local association was in good standing with its parent body, the International Cycling Union, Juman-Yassin said that was “irrelevant.”
“I’ve seen it in the papers, whether you are in good standing with UCI or not doesn’t preclude you from having elections. If your constitution says you have to have elections you must have elections and that is the position… so for me whether Mr. Burrowes is in good standing with UCI, it is irrelevant, you have to call elections,” Juman-Yassin affirmed.
The GOA president said that this was not something that is unique but associations normally use the excuse of unprepared audited statements for their unwillingness to hold Annual General Meetings and elections, but suggested that this does not have to be the case not to hold elections.
“You got to look at the explanations. Most of the time they say it’s the audited financial statements and most bodies depend on people to assist them and I know a lot of times audited statements are not ready and because you don’t have full-time people working, you have difficulties in that but there must be a good reason why elections have not been called…but for example, if the audited statements are not ready, still call elections, still call the Annual General Meeting and indicate that this is not ready and ask the body to deal with it and the body could say we defer this issue until another occasion but at least you are still entitled and mandated to call elections,” Juman-Yassin stated.
