Sulom, NYFA snub nominations
Sulom and National Youth Football Association (NYFA) have stuck to their guns not to nominate candidates for the December 14 FAM elections.
This is despite the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) electoral body’s order that all affiliates would be required to nominate one person on every position which are president, first and second vice-presidents, and two committee members (one each for male and female).
FAM general secretary (GS) Alfred Gunda, who is also secretary for the electoral body, confirmed that the two affiliates did not submit their nominations although NYFA only nominated its president Chimango Munthali for the post of executive member.
“On record, we have seven [out of the nine affiliates] that have fully met the requirements for the nominations,” he said.
Sulom president Tiya Somba-Banda yesterday confirmed the development, saying: “We didn’t nominate any candidate as we believe we are within the member associations’ rights to do so.
“Suffice to say almost all the candidates that we could have nominated were already chosen by other affiliates; hence, our nominations would not have made any difference.”
NYFA general secretary Thoko Chimbali said their decision to only nominate their chairperson is by design.
“The reason we have taken that path is because we want to advance the interests of our candidate [Munthali] who enjoys support from both camps.
“So, nominating candidates on other positions would have put us in an awkward situation as we did not want to appear supporting certain individuals,” he said.
Asked if there are sanctions for failing to nominate candidates, the electoral body’s chairperson Sylvester Kalembera, a High Court judge, said: “Unfortunately that’s the weakness in their [FAM] statutes, though the general assembly has powers to punish those who breach their statutes.”
But football analyst David Kanyenda, also a lawyer by profession, said there is a general provision that “when you violate a statute, you can be sanctioned”.
He said: “It cannot be [directly] stated on every statute because then it will be a penal code, but generally the provision is there.”
Meanwhile, Central Region Football Association (CRFA), whose chairperson Austin Ajawa initially declared that they would also not nominate anyone, was embroiled in a fresh controversy yesterday when some members of the executive committee submitted nominations on the closing date.
An inside source revealed that their nominees are James Mwenda for presidency, Jabbar Alide for first vice-president, Lameck Khonje for second vice-president, Rashid Ntelera and Felistus Dossi for committee members.
CRFA general secretary Benard Chiwiruwiru Harawa was not available for comment, but Ajawa described them as “tippexed nominations”.
He said: “Nominations have to be approved by the head of the affiliate, in this case I was not even consulted neither were some of the committee members. Three of my members went behind our back to submit these ‘tippexed nominations’ without following the procedures and I have already taken up the matter with the electoral body because this is a serious breach of our statutes.
“As far as I am concerned, our earlier resolution not to nominate anyone, remains unchanged.”
But the source said even the communication which Ajawa sent to the effect that they would not nominate anyone, also did not have the GS’ signature.
Kalembera said the electoral body will meet today to look at the nominations and other issues arising.
Southern Region Football Association (SRFA), NRFA, National Football Referees Association (NFRA), National Women’s Football Association (NWFA), National football Coaches Association (NFCA) and Beach Soccer Association are other associations that submitted theirs.
SRFA, NRFA, NWFA and NFCA have nominated incumbent president Nyamilandu for presidency while NRFA and Beach Soccer have chosen Mwenda.
Daud Ntanthiko and Jabbar Alide have been nominated for first vice-presidency whereas Incumbent second veep Othaniel Hara will tussle with NRFA chairperson Lameck Khonje.
