Based on details of deliberations held between football clubs and FIFA, experts say that the course of action taken by FIFA will be to bring FAM before a normalization committee and amend the guidelines of the association before an election takes place.
Deliberations between the administrative stakeholders of football and the delegation from the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) visiting Maldives leaned towards refining the regulations of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), with an election following shortly after.
FIFA is set to assign the procession of this work to a Normalization Committee. An official who had attended the meeting stated that football clubs had raised concerns over some issues noticed in FAM's fundamental regulations with the FIFA delegation.
The primary concern revolved around the limited opportunity to contest the elections. The clubs highlighted that the requirement to accumulate endorsements from a specific number of clubs to participate in the election acts as a barrier to holding a transparent and open election. This provision is stipulated in the last article of FAM's guidelines.
The next issue raised by the clubs was excluding some clubs from participating in the Extra Ordinary Congress during the elections held by the Association on February. The official further highlighted that a club not receiving an invite to join the congress was also brought up during the meetings.
He said that clubs had emphasized that some necessary procedures required before the congress remained incomplete. Additionally, he noted that clubs remarked that the Association had not adhered to guidelines when holding a second meeting with the same agenda after a mandated postponement of the congress by 15 minutes due to an unmet quorum.
However, the issues are not solely confined to the elections. The clubs disclosed that the current guidelines are not being followed by the association. The official had divulged that the clubs further reiterated the issue of the failure to form the four fundamental committees for four years, despite the requirement for their establishment during the second tenure of the current President of FAM, Bassam Adeel Jaleel.
FIFA had ordered FAM to halt all election procedures after it was announced following the compilation of all the committees during this most recent congress. FIFA had not given permission to resume the elections thus far.
Addressing FIFA's intention to involve a Normalization committee, an expert stated that FIFA is investigating matters connected with senior officials of the football association as well as the issue surrounding disregard for the guidelines.
"Leaving constitutional issues aside for now, in addition to that FIFA is also investigating other events that took place at FAM. As such, I do not believe the permit to proceed the elections will given during such a time." he said.
Reviewing the themes of deliberation and unfolding events, he stated that it is highly likely that FAM will be brought before a normalization committee.
"Will be certain once FIFA takes it to that level. But based on the discussions, it is most likely they will opt for an election," he said.
"A normalization committee consists of two things, Refining the fundamental guidelines and holding an election. All daily tasks can proceed then."
Another club official that had joined the meeting stated that the clubs' goal was improving the fundamental guidelines before the elections.
"That is why clubs had requested FAM to be brought to before a normalization committee." he said.
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