…Call for Orderly Election Process Crucial for FAZ’s Credibility…
On the 14th January, 2024, The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Electoral Committee chairperson Ronald Hatoongo announced the electoral roadmap for the FAZ elections calendar and a build up to the March 29 Annual General Meeting.
The Electoral Committee provided a roadmap that will start with the filing of nominations on February 1, 2025. Nominations will close on February 7, and a two-day window has been provided for any clearance of possible outstanding matters.
I want to commend the FAZ Electoral Committee for keeping football stakeholders updated on the roadmap of the elections and also their commitment to holding the highest level of transparency in running this process. This is commendable.
According to the schedule, Southern Province will kick start the elections on March 15, 2025, while Lusaka, Central, North Western, and Copperbelt will hold their elective congresses on March 16, 17, 18, and 19, respectively.
The committee disclosed that the next cycle will see Luapula, Northern, Muchinga, Western, and Eastern holding their elective conferences on March 20, 21, 22, 25, and 27 in that order.
The committee called the provincial offices to step up in preparing the ground for free and fair elections. The provincial elections are as critical as the national election.
Secondly, as candidates prepare to file in for the nomination to be conducted between February 1, and 7, 2025, I appeal to aspiring candidates and general members to fully familiarize themselves with the FAZ and FIFA Statutes.
This is critical to ensure candidates and the general membership are familiar with the rules of the game to avoid aspiring candidates exhibiting high levels of ignorance.
Football enthusiast will agree with me in noting the association efforts and time devoted in familiarizing members with the FAZ and FIFA Statutes, this is commendable high level of transparence, accountability and fairness.
I only hope that candidates and the general membership understand eligibility for elections is determined by the constitution only. Let me state again that eligibility for FAZ elective positions is not determined by thugerism or rush to courts of law outside the FIFA auspices.
Please it is not a secret that the FAZ Constitution is aligned with the FIFA Constitution, the process done through an open process by the membership in 2017.
The current constitution was adopted to among other things reduce the electoral college from 350 to 86 and also pave way for decentralization.
I hope all candidates wishing to participate in the elections understand the statutes and should know by now that the nominations will run from February 1-7. The Electoral Committee will announce the successful candidates on February 17 while prospective candidates wishing to appeal can do so from February 17-22.
In conclusion I want to thank FAZ Electoral chairperson Ronald Hatoongo for reiterating his committee’s position of not standing at nothing but delivering an independent and transparency process because members of this committee are coming from regulated professions. With this assurance, it means even those vying for the FAZ positions especially the president should demonstrate high levels of professionalism and maturity.
After the nominations are closed and a final list is announced, I will be among the football enthusiasts that will take time to study the manifestos of different candidates to ensure the best candidate is supported fully. Time for jokes and name calling in Football are long gone.
In the next article I will write about the integrity text.
Martin Akende
Akendemartin33@gmail.com
Author is Football analyst, communication expert
media consultant @spider communication agency
