September 5 – The Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) has postponed presidential elections originally scheduled for September 10th following a request from FIFA.
In a letter sent from FIFA to FERWAFA on Friday evening, FIFA requested FERWAFA to put on hold the upcoming Presidential elections in order to allow amendments to be incorporated into the electoral code governing the FERWAFA Presidential elections.
FERWAFA President Nzamwita Vincent (pictured) said: “I have talked to FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura over the issue and she has advised us on what we need to do to ensure that our regulations match with the FIFA status. FIFA has agreed to send a team of experts to help us align our regulations to be in conformity with the FIFA status then after we will summon an extraordinary general assembly to approve them before calling for an elective general assembly.”
The world governing body’s intervention came after a group of 14 FERWAFA General Assembly members wrote a letter to FIFA on August 25t claiming the codes governing elections were being violated.
As incumbent Vincent Nzamwit is being challenged by Albert Mwanafunzi. A group called ‘Rwanda Football Coalition for Change’ claims a number of FIFA regulations have been broken in Rwanda including that an independent Electoral Commission should be appointed six months before the election dates, that the commission must not include someone working in government and there should be an arbitration team, in case of any appeal that may arise.
The group also claims unfair conditions were being set on acceptance of opposition candidates and that the federation’s Secretary General, Tharcille Latifa Uwamahoro, should be on the Electoral Commission but in FERWAFA’s case, she is not.
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