Following the announcement by the Electoral Committee that four GFF affiliates, including the Guyana Police Force, are ineligible to vote at Saturday’s elections due to not being in good standing, club President, Senior Superintendent Jermaine Johnson, has rubbished the ruling, declaring it’s an effort to smear the entity’s reputation.
In a letter that was seen by this publication and sent yesterday to GFF General Secretary Ian Alves, Johnson stated that the club was unaware that it was deemed to not be in good standing and was only made aware of its voting ineligibility via an article in another section of the media, which, in the entity’s opinion, given the contents of the article, is an intentional move to sully its reputation.
According to the letter, “the basis of the prohibition appears to flow from an alleged breach of Article 15.1(b) of the Guyana Football Federation Statutes. A copy of the newspaper article is herewith attached. As is known, Article 15(1)(b) of the Guyana Football Federation Statutes provides that members of the Guyana Football Federation must ensure the election of its decision-making bodies at least every four years. On April 1, 2020, the current executive body of the Police FC was appointed. Copies of the appointment letters are hereto attached. Thus, the Police FC is compliant with Article 15.1(b). Accordingly, the statement in the newspaper article is unfounded and wholly false. It is also our view that the article is a deliberate attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Guyana Police Force as a whole.” The GFF Electoral Committee disclosed on Saturday, December 2nd, that only 18 of the 22 affiliates are eligible to vote, declaring that Elite League clubs GPF, Santos, Western Tigers, and solitary association West Demerara are ineligible owing to being in good standing based on provisions of the GFF Statutes and the GFF Electoral Code, including Article 15.1 of the GFF Statutes.
The Electoral Committee revealed that the eligible voters are: Bartica Football Association; Berbice Football Association; East Bank Football Association; East Coast Demerara Football Association; Essequibo/Pomeroon Football Association; Georgetown Football Association (GFA); Upper Demerara Football Association; Rupununi Football Association; Guyana Football Coaches’ Association; Guyana Football Referees’ Council; The Women’s Football Association; Ann’s Grove Football Club; Buxton United Football Club; Den Amstel Football Club; Fruta Conquerors Football Club; Guyana Defence Force Football Club (GDF); Milerock Football Club; and Victoria Kings Football Club.”
Johnson further disclosed, “It is noteworthy that the Guyana Police Force was established on July 1, 1839, by the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and is guided by the Police Act, Chapter 16:01. As a disciplinary organisation, the Commissioner of Police reserves and exercises the right to appoint the President, who appoints the other officers for the various sporting disciplines, including football, with the approval of the Force’s Executive Leadership Team. This precedent has continued over the years with successive commissioners, without any objection from any governing body, for the various sports, including the Guyana Football Federation Executive Body. This abrupt attempt to challenge the Commissioner’s authority to appoint decision-making bodies to manage the various sporting disciplines is to challenge the Constitutional Office of the Commissioner of Police.”
He further revealed that the GFF has, in the past, contravened its own constitution by failing to notify the club of the 2022 General Congress, and that the Electoral Committee has also breached the sport’s constitution by failing to disclose the requisite eligibility criteria.
Johnson explained, “It is noteworthy that the Guyana Football Federation contravened Article 14.1(b) of the Guyana Football Federation Statutes when it failed to notify and invite the Police FC and Elite Club to the General Congress 2022. Alarmingly, the Electoral Committee of the Federation has neglected to publish the full list of eligibility criteria, thus breaching Article 7.3 of the Electoral Code of the Guyana Football Federation with impunity. In an effort to continue the development of football in Guyana, the Executive Body of Police FC and the Commissioner of Police are looking forward to a swift and amicable solution to the aforementioned issues.”
