The highly-anticipated Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of office bearers of the Guyana Olympic Association is imminent.
As early as late February or early March the body’s umbrella associations/federations will cast their votes.
This is according to assistant secretary of the GOA, Deion Nurse.
On the sideline of yesterday’s Sports Conference which was held at the National Cultural Centre, Nurse told this publication that the audit of finances has been completed, the final hurdle crossed to hold the elections.
“We have gotten the final part of our audited statement report and the executive will go through it and then we will meet with our Council Members very shortly. We will do our checks and balances and come together and decide on a date for the election based upon the other parameters we need to put together.”
Nurse added that a period of 21 days must be given to affiliates prior to the election process and surmised that “late February, early March” the elections will be held.
While the exact date of the election is uncertain, what is unquestionable is that the body will have a new president.
Last June, the affiliate associations/federations voted in favour of ratifying its constitution based on the recommendations of its parent body, the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
During the Special General Meeting hosted at Olympic House, the GOA affiliates made a key change to its constitution which now includes in its governance principle to limit the age of executive members to 70 years.
The associations/federation voted 29-13 to implement the age limit capped at three score and 10.
The new rule within its constitution, directly impacted incumbent President K. Juman-Yassin, 76, from running for the top post again.
The ratification of the constitution essentially eliminated Juman-Yassin who has been at the helm of the GOA for the past 26 years from being reelected.
The GOA’s umbrella bodies will soon determine in large part the direction sports locally will undertake for next four years and beyond as electoral elections of the GOA is imminent.
