By Andrew Warshaw in Sao Paulo
June 10 – The thorny issue of age limits and term mandates, the one FIFA reform measure that shows little sign of being resolved, is back on the agenda at world body’s annual congress starting Tuesday – but it won’t affect Sepp Blatter’s likely bid to go for a fifth term of office.
The idea of putting a ceiling on how long executive members can serve came to the fore after many of FIFA’s old guard quit or were kicked out over corruption claims, leading Blatter’s critics to suggest that the president himself should be subject to some kind of restriction.
Blatter, who is widely expected to make some kind of official bid to be given another mandate during the 209-nation Congress, re-iterated his opposition to a ceiling when he addressed Asian delegates at their own congress here on Monday describing any such move as “discrimination”.
Now it looks exceedingly like he will get his way – courtesy, in part, of UEFA which last year agreed unanimously that a term limit should only be introduced for the FIFA president and not for members of the executive committee.
This week, the FIFA executive committee discussed a restriction on mandates across the board but did not get the necessary approval because UEFA’s delegates said they were bound by their own Confederation’s decision.
Congress will consider the issue again when Theo Zwanziger, the FIFA exco member who led the reform process from inside the organisation, seeks a ‘simple majority’ vote in favour of a mandates restriction. If he gets a yes vote, he will have to go back to the exco and point out that the full Congress is in favour of some kind of limit.
The first time it could be introduced would theoretically be next year at around FIFA election time but there would then have to be a three-quarters majority and a four-year “transition” period, effectively giving Blatter carte blanche to carry on, with only his eventual successor being bound by three terms of four years each.
Asian football boss Sheikh Salman, for one, made it clear he would vote against any restrictions. “I propose we support all matters presented at the congress. I am sure we are in favour or them all, no age and no term limit,” he told delegates at his own congress.
Meanwhile, with the clock ticking for Blatter to get Palestine and Israel to sign a memorandum of understanding and forge some kind of agreement to allow football in the occupied territories to flourish, Palestinian FA chairman Djibril Rajoub warned again that he was in no mood for compromise.
“I will ask for a red card for Israel at the Congress,” said Rajoub. “The Israelis have not co-operated with FIFA’s mediation. I will sign a memorandum only if the agreement recognises the FIFA statutes. If not, no way.”
The Congress, which begins with a ceremonial welcome and gala dinner Tuesday but doesn’t get into full flow until Wednesday, was reported last week to be subject to a possible protest by UEFA members over Blatter’s likely electioneering rallying cry. But UEFA sources said no plans for a collective sit-down had ever been firmed up and that anyway it was by no means the best way of registering opposition.
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