Gambia National Olympic Committee Elections Is A Farce

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Gambia National Olympic Committee Elections Is A Farce – Sports Tribunal

Tuesday, 12 June 2012 16:23

(JollofSports) – The Sports Tribunal set up to probe in to last year’s Gambia’s National Olympic Committee, GNOC elections, has described the process which led to the election of Momodou Dibba as a farce, and an exercise whose credibility was largely diminished as a result of voting by non-eligible voters.

These revelations were made in a press release by the Ministry of Youth and Sports yesterday.

The Ministry further stated it is considering taking appropriate and responsible actions, on the findings of the Sports Tribunal.

The Ministry said it has decided to share some key items on the Tribunal’s findings with the public after a critical analyses of the its content.

Momodou Dibba

According to the Tribunal's report, as relayed by the Sports Ministry, the Preamble of the constitution of the Gambia National Olympic Committee, GNOC, described it as an organisation affiliated to the Olympic Movement, under the terms of the Olympic Charter and in accordance with the provisions of the law and regulations governing associations in the Gambia.

Therefore, according to the Tribunal, the GNOC, by its own constitution, is under the laws governing the associations in the Gambia all of which are required to be registered with the National Sports Council, the NSC, which has the power to supervise elections of officials of sports associations including the GNOC.

‘’In fact the NSC Act of 2000 states that the NCS shall ensure the election of an Olympic committee in accordance with the Olympic Charter for the purpose of ensuring, The Gambia’s effective representation at each Olympic games and related matters’’ the Tribunal revealed.

Therefore, observed the tribunal, any election without the supervision of the National Sports Council, as it was the case with the GNOC’S 2011 elections, could be best described as farce.

It further stated; ‘’The credibility of the February 12, 2011 elections was largely diminished as a result of voting by non – eligible voters’’.

In brief comment on the findings, Ministry of Sports, in its press release said it is assuring the public that the national laws regarding the administration and development of sports in the Gambia and considerations of international obligations will continue to be the sources of reference in taking our sports forward .It concluded,

‘’The Ministry will ensure that the sports fraternity is thoroughly restructured such that the endless bickering that is hampering the meaningful development of sports in all its facet in this country ceased once and for all’’.
Written by Lamin Cham

Comments

0 #1 2012-06-16 10:59

Well, Mr. Cham, being a seasoned and much respected Sports Journalist I thought you should have added that this "Sports Tribunal" is acting Ultra-Vires. Anyway, the IOC has reacted WITH CLARITY and their response is fully published in The Point newspaper, the link being:

http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/ioc-seeks-autonomous-noc-for-gambia-ioc-letter-to-gnoc-autonomy-of-your-noc

Kind regards.

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