National Football executive gets extended stay

The Carl Dickson -led executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation will remain intact until elections are held on Thursday March 21, 2024, a when new mandate is given.

This, after affiliates last Monday February 5, 2024, at an Extraordinary Congress convened at the Methodist Church Hall, Kingstown, gave an extension to the executive, as the previous January 31, 2024 added time had expired.

The executive’s life of four years, should have ended in November 2023, which was the due date for the elections, however, this was not possible.

At the center of the delay was an order by FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, who declared that new statutes and governance structures must be in place first.

Hence, Article 37.3 of the new statutes explains why the current executive is still constitutionally legal.

“ The mandate of the president, vice-presidents and members of the Executive Council shall be for four years. Their mandates shall immediately begin after the end of the Congress which has elected them and expire at the end of the Congress at which their successors are elected”, states the first of Article 37.3.

Thus, in keeping with the new statutes adopted on January 10, 2024, all operations must be compliant with the constitution of the SVGFF.

Therefore, with the March 21, 2024 Congress date fixed, affiliate members will be invited to register for the Congress on Monday March 4, 2024.

The registration process will be followed by a formal convocation sent in writing at least ten days before the date of the Congress.

The Formal Convocation of the Congress, together with a copy of the Agenda, the Minutes, Annual Report 2023, and some practical information regarding the organisation of the Congress, will reach affiliates by March 11, 2024.

However, should affiliate members wish to submit a proposal for the Congress agenda, they must do so in writing and send it to the General Secretariat, together with a brief explanation, at least thirty days before the date of the Congress, which works out to be February 20, 2024.

The road map to the March 21, Elective Congress shows that the process of integrity checks on the 33 candidates who have come forward to be elected to the various posts, began on February 6, 2024.

As such, the integrity checks are to be completed by February 20, 2024, making way for the appeals process to take place from February 23 to 27, 2024.

Candidates who pass the integrity checks will be made public on March 1, 2024.

Five persons are vying to become President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, while four have indicated their willingness to be the next first vice- president of the organisation.

Meanwhile, five candidates have thrown their names in the ring for the position of second vice-president and three for third vice-president.

And, sixteen persons will be canvassing support for the five committee member positions.

Fifty- three affiliate members have voting rights at the Elective Congress on March 21, 2024.