The validity of the correspondence ahead of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) all important Electoral General Meeting (EGM) is now under the microscope after Secretary General of the body, Hector Edwards, denied any knowledge of being its author.
Edwards, a former national cycling champion, yesterday denied penning the correspondence which deemed some constituent members and individuals ineligible to be part of GOA’s upcoming EGM.
In the letter, it states among other things that six constituent members including the Guyana Baseball League headed by Robin Singh, were deemed ineligible to vote at the EGM on Sunday.
The letter cited article 6 and 7 of the GOA’s constitution and deemed the Baseball League as well as the Guyana Judo Federation, Guyana Netball Association, Guyana Canoe Federation, Guyana Taekwondo Association and the Guyana Fencing Federation as being ineligible to vote at the Sunday’s EGM.
Singh is running against Godfrey Munroe for the presidency of the association.
Edwards was also adamant that he did not sign or authorize anyone to sign the document on his behalf.
This new revelation has now added another twist to the chapter leading up to the all-important EGM in just three days’ time.
Edwards, a lecturer at the University of Guyana, told this publication yesterday that he has not been an active member of the GOA since prior to the onset of the pandemic and, as such, has no knowledge of its day-to-day activities.
“I learnt about the letter through a third party. How can I sign something I have no knowledge of?” Edwards questioned.
Edwards reiterated: “I did not write it, I did not sign it, nor did I authorize anyone to sign it as well.
Singh has since threatened legal action if the issue is not resolved ‘in-house’.
In an email to the GOA, Singh wrote “Baseball Guyana has retained legal counsel in the event of a failure to resolve this issue in-house; the attempt to selectively enforce parts of Articles 6&7 of the new GOA constitution without due notice and process required by those same articles is unlawful and unenforceable.”
Some individuals, four-time Olympian, Aliann Pompey (Vice President), Emelia Ramdhani (Assistant Treasurer) and Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon (Secretary General) were also deemed ineligible to contest the election for various reasons.
The USA-based Pompey was deemed ineligible to contest due to the article 14.4.1 (“being a national of Guyana and ordinarily resident in Guyana”).
Persaud- McKinnon (deemed ineligible to contest due to article 14.4.3 “have been at the time of first elected a member of a constituent member for at least two (2) years”).
Ramdhani (deemed ineligible to contest due to article 12. 2 “nomination form not seconded by a constituent member”)
It will be interesting to see how events unfold prior to the EGM which will be held from 17:00hrs at Olympic House.
