Ethiopia Football Federation presidential election will not take place next week in compliance with Friday’s FIFA advisory letter.
General Assembly will however proceed as planned starting Thursday next in Addis Abba to only elect Electoral Committee.
FIFA “strongly recommended” the postponement as electoral process that had been put in place was “flawed” and did not comply with the world’s football body’s principles of “good governance and impartiality.”
EFF’s Executive Committee meeting Friday to discuss the FIFA’s letter that lasted six hours almost degenerated in a fist fight as tempers flared.
One member Abebe Gelagay is widely reported to have had a bitter exchange of words with the President Juneidi Basha – throwing a water bottle at him.
Abebe and some Exco members accused Basha of conspiring with the FIFA to postpone the presidential poll.
The decision to put the election on hold to allow for a process acceptable to FIFA to be enacted was nonetheless agreed upon.
FIFA is demanding for vetting of all candidates angling for the president post and Executive Committee membership.
FIFA also wants the Electoral Committee to be put in place in advance contrary to the current arrangement whereby it would have been formed on the material day.
This according FIFA will allow aggrieved parties time to seek redress and prevent a situation whereby some candidates could be locked out unfairly from contesting.
Five candidates had applied to challenge Basha for the top seat with eleven others offering themselves for the Executive Committee membership.
