Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) elections did not take place as planned on Saturday for a fourth time.
Electoral Committee chairman Zerihun Mekonnen halted the exercise indefinitely days to the D-day and sought FIFA’s intervention on the way forward.
Zerihun asked the world’s football governing body to send a team to assess the electoral process dogged by persistent wrangles before it can proceed.
In response, FIFA’s Secretary General Fatma Samoura pledged to dispatch a delegation to Addis Ababa during the week of 12th March 2018 to “appease” all concerned parties.
“It is our hope that the visit will help in establishing a clear and consequential process for the timely holding of EFF elections,” FIFA said.
In accepting the latest postponement, Samoura pointed out that the General Assembly’s legitimacy would have been undermined since its agenda was not sent to members 15 days in advance as stipulated in the federation’s statutes.
“Furthermore, we could have expected the EFF to consult with FIFA and CAF before determining the date and location for its elections as indicated in our letter dated 32 January 2018.
“We also note that concerns in relations to the EFF electoral process still appear to persist.”
According to a member of the EFF Executive Committee, who didn’t want to be mentioned, the failure to present the agenda of the General Assembly was deliberate to the get the “divided” Electoral Committee, FIFA and other stakeholders negotiating.
One particular issue that has split the polls body into two and which a section of its members want resolved is eligibility of Dr. Ashebir Woldegiorgis to vie for EFF presidency.
Ashebir, who was touted as the main challenger to the current president Juneidi Basha was locked out of the process because he was president of a different federation until his resignation last year.
The matter among others remains unresolved and has worked to derail the electoral process.
