On Saturday, 9th December, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) will hold its Electoral Congress at the GFF Training Centre at Providence, East Bank Demerara. This will be the first time elections have been held following an Extraordinary Congress held on 27th August, 2022, at the same venue, where several amendments were made to the GFF’s Constitution. There, under the guise of aligning the GFF with several FIFA and CONCACAF statutes designed to improve governance and transparency, the GFF, also amended the term limits for office for some executives from two to three terms.
The entire amendment process, which was conducted by the Constitutional Reform Committee, was viewed with a cloud of suspicion by several factions of the local football fraternity, who claimed that the FIFA draft amendments, which they were supposed to comment on and suggest counter proposals, were never circulated to the general membership. Another amended proposal, which drew the ire of local clubs, suggested that the voting rights be revoked for those members who arrived late for the GFF Congress.
As Secretary of the Buxton United Football Club Eton Moses wryly observed in an interview with this publication in July last year, “ … the issue of third term is located nowhere in CONCACAF 2016 and FIFA 2018 statutes. Thus, what are the 2022 proposed amendments for Articles 28 (2), 34 (4), and 24 of the GFF Consti-tution aligning to? Hence, it is now reasonable to postulate that these proposals were never recommended by CFU, FIFA and CONCACAF, but were proposed by the principals of the GFF with the sole aim of consolidating authority.”
The amendments to the statutes were duly passed at the Extraordinary Congress last year August, and the new GFF Constitution was printed and circulated, with the signatures of GFF President Wayne Forde, and General Secretary Ian Alves affixed and dated 27th August, 2022 on page 50. On pages 51 to 54, there is an unsigned Annex section, with four sections: Transitional Provisions, Part 1: General Pro-visions, Part 2: Screening Process, and Part 3: Questionnaire.
The first two of the five Transitional Provi-sions make for a very interesting read:
“1. The requirement to undergo an integrity check as mentioned in art [article] X par [paragraph] X of these statutes and the criteria defined in art X par X of these statutes shall not apply to the members of the Council that are in place at the time of the adoption of these statutes but shall be complied with by any candidate running for any of the position[s] on the Council following the adoption of the statutes.
“2. The term limits as defined in article 36 (4) shall only apply as from the elections of the members of the Council which shall take place following the adoption of these statutes.”
These two Machiavellian clauses are obviously the handiwork of a person whose sole objective is the retention of power. In the initial clause, the incumbent administration clearly has no intention whatsoever of subjecting themselves to an integrity questionnaire and, or audit, but are quite willing to impose it on any potential rivals as a disqualifying tool. The second clause, which is subject to more than one interpretation, suggests that the three-term office limit will only take effect after this election. Does this mean that should the Wayne Forde Administration successfully retain office this would be considered the first of three possible terms, and the two previous terms are not going to be counted? Does this open the door for a five-term Forde Administration? Mr Forde’s two terms in office can be aptly summarised as replete with bungling, which has been a constant source of embarrassment to all Guyanese, as their innumerable foibles were duly noted on a regular basis in this column.
Over and over here in Guyana, we continue to witness the measures persons will employ to cling to the seat of power. In June, 2022, after six terms at the helm of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), then President K A Juman-Yassin pleaded passionately with association representatives to oppose the IOC age limit proposal of 70 years. He had noted, “You can become President of Guyana at any age and putting a cap on the age limit is a disrespect to you and your association.” Then 76 years old, the former chief magistrate, who had been president since 1996, declared that he was a victim of political interference after the motion was carried.
On 8th November, Franklyn Wilson, who acted as GFF president during 2011 – 2012 following FIFA’s intervention in the management of local football, (after then long serving GFF President Colin Klass’ involvement in the Bin Hamman cash for votes scandal in 2011), submitted a slate of candidates to support his run for the presidency. Mr Forde’s declaration to seek a third term – in real terms – was initially shrouded in secrecy before a letter with his intentions was leaked to some football officials. Printed on four pages with the GFF letterhead (Isn’t this clearly unethical?), the incumbent announced his candidacy, touting all his achievements and the reasons why he should continue to hold the reins of office. Mr Forde is yet to release a slate of candidates for office.
We will never see an end to this clinging to power which has become an epidemic in our society until the affiliate associations and individuals who moan and complain about not receiving what is due to them use their votes wisely.