SCFA directive raises concerns two weeks before elections

There is divided opinion among St Catherine-based clubs in the lead-up to the elections for a new administration following a directive from the St Catherine Football Association (SCFA) stating that only executive members of a club will be allowed to vote.

According to the SCFA election protocols, all clubs are to nominate two persons as delegates to cast their vote.

Several clubs confirmed they were told that only their executive members would be considered as delegates with all clubs to nominate their delegates before tomorrow’s deadline.

However, technical director of Royal Lakes FC Michael Panchan argued the rule goes against the SCFA’s constitution which allows for any member of the club to be chosen as a delegate.

Panchan pointed to Article 7.2, Section 1 of the SCFA constitution which says, “Delegates to the Special General Meeting and General Meeting shall be bona fide members of clubs or organisations they represent.”

He said the constitution has defined a bona fide member as being separate from an executive member.

EXECUTIVE MEMBER

An executive member, he states, is either the club’s president, vice-president, general secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer or assistant treasurer.

“The constitution states that bona fide members are eligible to be a delegate, that is what our constitution states. So that is who the club nominates, so even the a player can a bona fide member if their club nominates them for election date,” he said.

“But they’ve put forward that it’s only executives that can be delegates and the constitution doesn’t say that. When we questioned it, they said it in their interpretation of the law and they’re putting that only the top executives can take part.”

However, president of DB Basovak Diego Billings has little issue with the decision as he believes it will not impact the clubs’ ability to vote in the upcoming election.

Billings said the SCFA ruling equates executive members to bona fide delegates as more often than not, it is the executive members of the clubs who have voted in the past.

“The constitution is saying it’s bona fide members of the club but they’re saying that we should view bona fide members as only being the executive members. It’s just all over the place”

Billings said the SCFA has made the election process needlessly complicated as they will allow clubs to nominate non-executive members should a prior delegate be unable to attend.

Billings labelled it a confusing choice from the association as it negates their previous decision to disallow non-executive members from voting.

“They went on in their communications to say that if an executive member cannot make it for any reason at all, then they can write to the FA 48 hours before the election to say that this other person will participate on my behalf.

“So it’s a bit contradictory to say that it’s only executive members but then allowing one to write and say that this non-executive person can vote on my behalf, so it’s just all over the place if I’m being honest,” Billings said.

The election date for the SCFA has been set for July 28 with clubs to nominate two delegates by July 14.