‘Democracy at work’
TT FOOTBALL Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams left the VIP Room at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo unscathed and full of confidence as a motion for his dismissal failed to materialise during an adjourned AGM, on Sunday.
The meeting was scheduled for the membership to address the remaining items on the agenda, which could not be attended to in the first sitting held two weeks prior. It has been adjourned yet again for January to address the passing of the budget and a constitutional amendment, which could allow for a vote to remove a sitting president by a simple majority.
“Democracy at work, that’s all I have to say...This is the second time they’ve tried to do it (execute a no-confidence vote) and the people have spoken,” John-Williams said in an interview with Newsday yesterday.
John-Williams, admitting to not being a “media person”, said he quietly goes about his business and was pleased to have the support of the majority of his membership.
The TTFA head has been heavily criticsed by certain excutive members for not being transparent with the multi-million dollar Home of Football project in Couva.
Asked if he was expecting the motion to pass or fail, John-Williams responded: “I make no comment on that matter. In politics – and this is politics really – you never know.” He said he did not wish to discuss the motion further, except to say: “I will continue to do my best for T&T football.” The motion to dismiss the president was tabled by FC Santa Rosa president and member of the board of directors, Keith Look Loy, in September.
Instead of the no-confidence vote, John-Williams reportedly faced a less consequential motion of censure instead, which gave members an opportunity to voice their disapproval of the president’s handling of particular matters.
Meanwhile, the matter of the constitutional amendment, which was tabled by the TT Football Referees Association (TTFRA), was removed from the agenda and moved to the next adjourned meeting.
The TTFA constitution currently requires a three-quarter majority vote by secret ballot for the dismissal of a sitting president or any other member. The TTFRA is proposing to allow a vote of 50 per cent plus one member to allow for the removal of a member.
According to John-Williams, “In any democracy, it’s a recipe for disaster, because every Monday morning you could be putting a president in place. If the quorum for the AGM is 26, and let’s say the quorum attends the meeting, it only takes 14 members to remove the president.”
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John-Williams survives no confidence motion, with some help from the floor.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).
Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams survived another testing AGM today, without even having to face a tabled no confidence motion at the Hasely Crawford Stadium’s VIP Room in Port of Spain.
At the reconvened AGM, there were two motions on the agenda that directly affected the security of the football president. The first was an amendment to lower the threshold to remove a sitting president from 75 per cent to 51 percent; and the second was a no confidence motion.
In the end, John-Williams was shielded from both motions by the floor. North East Stars official Michael Awai asked that the constitutional amendment, which was tabled by the Northern Football Association (NFA), be removed from the agenda and dealt with on an unspecified date in January instead.
And Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association (TTFRA) vice-president Osmond Downer got in the way of the no confidence motion too with a counter-motion of censure instead, which essentially meant another warning for John-Williams while allowing him to remain in charge of the local football body.
Full motion from Downer:
“Whereas at the General Meeting of 13 June 2018, a motion was passed that the President be complimented on his valiant efforts to improve the state of football in the country, with a special reference to the creation of the Home of Football, and that in the same motion, the President was censured for not properly communicating with the Board, as he should do in all matters, according to the Constitution; and seeing that at present, the President should be again complimented on his continuing efforts as fore-mentioned.
“But, because of his continuing inadequate non-communication on all matters concerning these football projects, that the President be strongly reminded of the previous decision of censure and be made aware that any indication of such non-communication on the part of the President in the future will be treated as serious enough to engender a fulsome motion of no-confidence in the President.”
Democracy at Work.
TTFA Media.
Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams left the VIP Room at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo unscathed and full of confidence as a motion for his dismissal failed to materialise during an adjourned AGM, on Sunday.
In a Newsday article, it stated, the meeting was scheduled for the membership to address the remaining items on the agenda, which could not be attended to in the first sitting held two weeks prior. It has been adjourned yet again for January to address the passing of the budget and a constitutional amendment, which could allow for a vote to remove a sitting president by a simple majority.
“Democracy at work, that’s all I have to say…This is the second time they’ve tried to do it (execute a no-confidence vote) and the people have spoken,” John-Williams said in an interview with Newsday yesterday.
John-Williams said he quietly goes about his business and was pleased to have the support of the majority of his membership.
The TTFA head has been heavily criticsed by certain excutive members for not being transparent with the multi-million dollar Home of Football project in Couva.
Asked if he was expecting the motion to pass or fail, John-Williams responded: “I make no comment on that matter. In politics – and this is politics really – you never know.” He said he did not wish to discuss the motion further, except to say: “I will continue to do my best for TT football.” The motion to dismiss the president was tabled by FC Santa Rosa president and member of the board of directors, Keith Look Loy, in September.
Instead of the no-confidence vote, John-Williams reportedly faced a less consequential motion of censure instead, which gave members an opportunity to voice their disapproval of the president’s handling of particular matters.
Meanwhile, the matter of the constitutional amendment, which was tabled by the TT Football Referees Association (TTFRA), was removed from the agenda and moved to the next adjourned meeting.
The TTFA constitution currently requires a three-quarter majority vote by secret ballot for the dismissal of a sitting president or any other member. The TTFRA is proposing to allow a vote of 50 per cent plus one member to allow for the removal of a member.
According to John-Williams, “In any democracy, it’s a recipe for disaster, because every Monday morning you could be putting a president in place. If the quorum for the AGM is 26, and let’s say the quorum attends the meeting, it only takes 14 members to remove the president.”
SPORT: TTFA President Survives Removal Attempt