How Africa News
World football’s governing body FIFA appointed a normalisation committee to run the daily affairs of the Ivorian Football Association (FIF) after the latter failed to hold an election for a new Executive Committee.
According to FIFA, the failure to hold the exercise was due to “inherent weaknesses” in the FIF’s governance structures and processes, including contradictions in its Statutes and Electoral Code.
“The Bureau of the FIFA Council has decided to appoint a normalisation committee for FIF pursuant to art. 8 par. 2 of the FIFA Statutes. This decision is the result of the failure of the country’s football governing bodies to carry out an electoral process for a new Executive Committee in accordance with the statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to all FIFA member associations,” FIFA said in a statement released on Thursday.
The statement further outlined the mandate of the committee, which includes a partial review of relevant FIF Statutes and Electoral Code to ensure their compliance with FIFA and subsequent adoption.
The committee will also review the statutes of some stakeholders in addition to acting as an electoral committee with a view to organising and conducting elections of a new FIF Executive Committee.
The mandate of the committee will expire at the end of December next year, FIFA added, noting that the mandate of the previous board had already ended
Members of the normalisation committee, who will also act as an electoral committee, will be jointly appointed by FIFA and CAF but they will not be allowed to participate in the electoral process.
“All members of the normalisation committee will be subject to an eligibility check carried out by the FIFA Review Committee in accordance with the FIFA Governance Regulations,” FIFA said.
The FIF has been in turmoil since the candidacy of Ivorian legend Didier Drogba for the body’s presidency was rejected in late August.
FIFA subsequently requested the suspension of all activity relating to the FIF’s elections following concerns that the electoral process may not be free and fair. The elections were supposed to be held on September 5.
