Abdoulie Touray Letter: GNOC Elections Crisis

Executive Director

National Sports Council

Bakau

Chairman

National Sports Council

Bakau

Dear Sir,

GNOC ELECTIONS CRISIS

We the undersigned National Associations, once again wish to obtain your decision on the GNOC elections, whose outcomes and results are deemed by us, as being neither free or fair nor transparent, and therefore not credible.

The IOC did not endorse the elections but simply noted the outcome. The misguided letter, misrepresentation and misinformation from the Acting-Secretary General regrettably continue to be his trademark. For God’s sake, Mr. Prom is not elected by the General Assembly, but handpicked. The post of Secretary General is overdue for election. The elected Mr. Njie Barrow resigned in July 2010, citing maladministration for his decision to quit.

It is evident and obvious to all and sundry that the National Sports Council, by virtue of the National Sport Council Act Section II, is the Authority to constitutionally ensure the election of an Olympic Committee in accordance with the Olympic Charter.

We note with deep regret that the electoral list remains incomplete and the process leading to the voting was manipulated by the Ag-Secretary General, who usurped the role of the electoral office in the distribution of delegate cards. An ineligible voter from the Rugby association was given a card, whilst the President of Rugby was denied entry to the election hall, through his agent, a new employee of the GNOC.

The sanctity of the GNOC constitution must be preserved and not manipulated by any means to achieve the desired outcome of the IOC member for Gambia, who is supposed to be guardian of the IOC Charter in The Gambia, but continues to flout it with impunity.

Another fundamental point is that an ineligible Association, Judo, was allowed to vote contrary to the GNOC constitution. Judo is not registered by the NSC and the purported President Mr. Nasser Wagni is a Lebanese. The GNOC Constitution clause 4.2 reads: the members of the Gambia National Olympic Committee must be Gambian Nationals with full capacity.

The Fencing Association is registered by the NSC and recognised by the GNOC, and indeed voted at the last election, as captured on videotape, they were denied the right to vote. Two other Gambian CAF sub-committee members were also denied the right to vote, whilst Mr. Seedy Kinteh, also a CAF sub-committee member and supporter of the other candidate, was given the right to vote simply for that reason; FAIR PLAY is the watch word in sports.

Unconstitutionally Mr. Abdou Shyllon a sub-regional member of ZANOCA Wrestling was not eligible to vote under the GNOC constitution but was given the privilege to vote because he is the campaign manager for the Gambia’s IOC members candidate while the other Gambian in the same category, Mr. Casa Taal, Secretary General of the West African Volleyball Federation, was denied the same privilege to vote; FAIR PLAY Please.

The Vice President for Africa of the CGF, Alhaji Abdoulie Touray, was denied his constitutional right to vote, even after the very IOC categorically confirmed that the CGF is recognised by the IOC.  This was unequivocally confirmed and restated by the Chief Executive of the CGF.

The above facts clearly point to a serious travesty of justice, which render the elections as not free or fair, transparent or credible.

Consequently the National Sports Council must rightfully discharge its responsibility and authority, under its mandatory constitutional mandate.  Justice delayed is Justice denied.

According to Martin Luther King Jnr, Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere.

Thank you for understanding

Abdoulie Touray

cc: Secretary General - Office of the President

    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth & Sports

    Director - NOC Relations

    Chief Executive Officer, CGF

    National Associations

    Media Houses