By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
July 31 – After weeks of negative publicity about his role as head of Thai football and his international image, embattled FIFA vice-president Worawi Makudi has come out fighting to defend his conduct and counter what he claims are untruths circulated by his opponents.
Makudi is embroiled in an election crisis back home as he fights to retain power. Although his term of office as boss of the Thai FA (FAT) expired in mid-June, he insists he is not responsible for the impasse that is preventing elections from being held and that he is simply following FIFA instructions to impose new reforms first.
Opponents say the reforms – which involve slashing the number of eligible voters by more than half to 72 – would play into the hands of Makudi. But his bid to retain control received a timely boost yesterday (Tuesday), with the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) blocking attempts to force the presidential election before the requested changes are implemented.
The statutes are due to be altered on August 9 while Makudi has set September. 23 as the new election date even though a majority of Thai FA members signed a petition demanding the vote take place earlier. However, the SAT – the highest responsible body in the country – has now confirmed that the reforms must take priority.
“SAT have officially informed FAT they agree with the adoption of the FIFA statutes which will be conducted during the Extraordinary General Meeting on August 9 and to proceed with the FAT elections by September 30,” said Makudi.
“I have always only wanted to do the right thing for Thailand and Thailand football. No one is above the game. It has never ever been about me, or any other individual. Football is governed by the world body, FIFA, and it is imperative that FAT, as members of FIFA, follow the rules, regulations and statutes as laid out by them.”
In an interview with Insideworldfootball just as the SAT position was announced, Makudi said he had no intention of giving up and rejected claims that slashing the voting rights of smaller Thai clubs was a deliberate ploy to retain power amid growing unpopularity at home.
“We have an obligation to follow FIFA’s request, otherwise we are violating their regulations,” he said. “FIFA made a study of our structure and that’s what they asked us to do. Some of the smaller members are hardly even clubs. But there is another point to be made. I won the previous election by a landslide so why would I want to make changes to my own advantage? We have to follow what FIFA say and adopt the statutes before holding the election.”
Makudi, 61, needs a two-thirds majority to push the statutes through and said it was untrue that the new FAT constitution could contravene civil law, as has been claimed.
“If we can’t get a majority, FIFA will have to decide the way forward. I don’t understand why my opponents have been trying to block this. Much of what has been reported has been twisted. Whatever I do, some people will not agree. We are trying to be as transparent as possible. The fact is that the SAT has now agreed with the FIFA road map for Thai football.”
Makudi, who has defended himself more than once before against allegations of corruption during his lengthy career in football administration, rejected suggestions that the current internal dispute was the reason he was forced to miss the recent executive committee meeting of the Asian Football Confederation in Bahrain.
In a letter to the AFC secretariat, he cited unexplained personal commitments for his no-show but the actual reason, he revealed, was that he didn’t want to travel during Ramadan.
Without going into detail, Makudi said: “I told the AFC from the beginning that I could not attend during Ramadan. I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t free and who sent their apologies. I don’t have any problems in my own country and the government never interferes in our business.”
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