Walker-Brown cries foul in SCFA elections

Just days ahead of the St Catherine Football Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of officers presidential candidate Elaine Walker-Brown is crying foul on the tactics being employed by the current administration and her opponent, Ricardo Valentine.

Valentine is being endorsed by outgoing president Peter Reid, who is not seeking re-election.

Walker-Brown took issue with members of the recently dissolved executive being eligible to vote at the elections, a move which she says puts her team at a distinct disadvantage going into Sunday’s AGM.

She further argued that she is yet to receive a copy of the body’s constitution and has not been able to verify assurances by general secretary Norman Blair that everything is being done within the confines of the constitution.

Walker-Brown admitted that the odds are seriously stacked against her but does not intend to back down and is seeking the Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) intervention in what she believe is an unjust and unethical process.

“They will have 14 clear votes. When the council is dissolved before the election, all of the (executive) members can vote, and nothing can go like that. When the council is dissolved, who are you affiliated to that you can vote?” she asked.

“Why would somebody go into a race when the incumbent has 14 votes already? Why would you go in a race when the odds are against you? The executive will be dissolved and you were a part of the executive, so there is no executive as we are forming a new one and the clubs have already sent in their list of delegates to vote.

“The only executive member who would be eligible to vote are the referees, under the referee group. But under which group do the other 13 executives fall?

What makes them eligible to vote? Those persons are not eligible. They can’t vote when they have just been dissolved. I have spoken with a lawyer and he says nothing can go like that,” Walker-Brown argued.

Walker-Brown, who is going up against Ricardo Valentine for the presidency says Valentine’s team is quoting articles from the constitution, but she has no proof that they exist, as she is yet to obtain a copy.

Awaiting the constitution

“I haven’t received the constitution. They have told me verbally (that dissolved executive members can vote) and they say it is in the constitution. So I am waiting on the constitution to see for myself and then put it to the governing body. I don’t want to bring the sport into disrepute, as we have channels to go through, and I am going through that channel. I even wrote and brought it to the attention of the JFF, and the JFF wrote them and they are still delaying. But I am waiting,” she insisted.

Walker-Brown , the chairperson for women’s football in the JFF, cited a number of shortcomings with the current administration, including poor administration, lack of sponsorship and incentives for clubs and poor club structures among others.

Her slate includes Gurvan Whyte (1st VP), Ventley Brown (2nd VP), Sophia Smith (gen sec), Raymond Brown (treasurer) and Patrick Dunkley (asst sec/treasurer).