Thai FA must negotiate on vote change: Pattaya FC

Last Friday, the fourth-tier club was successful in securing an injunction from a Min Buri court that prevented a vote the next day to approve the FAT’s new regulations. Pattaya FC feared that the new regulations would cut the number of members eligible to vote in the FAT presidential election, with incumbent Worawi Makudi’s third two-year term expiring on Sunday.

The cancellation of Saturday’s meeting means things have not gone according to Worawi’s plan, which was to have the election conducted in accordance with the new rules. It now looks extremely doubtful that the vote for FAT president can take place within 30 days of the incumbent’s mandate expiring, as demanded by Thai sports law. 

However, Pattaya FC’s lawyer Peemdech Amonsukhon said his clients would be ready to withdraw the suit in order to allow the election to be held within the period required by the law if the FAT agreed to negotiate on the number of voting members.

“We are willing to withdraw the lawsuit on condition that the FAT agree to discuss the number of voting members, which they had intended to reduce from 184 to 72. Fifa states clearly that it is the right of each member country to set its number of voting members, because each one has different numbers. Fifa does not fix a specific number.

“More importantly, new Fifa statutes will come into effect on July 31, meaning an election [held beforehand] need not to be conducted in accordance with them. Fifa cannot suspend us if we are able to hold the election before July 31.

“However, we intend to withdraw the suit even if the FAT refuse to negotiate with us, because we need to comply with the [Thai] law. It states that the vote must be held within 30 days of the incumbent’s mandate expiring.

“In the event that the vote takes place later than the period required by the law, we no longer need to rely on the FAT to stage the poll. Then, it would be the duty of the new president to get our regulations in line with Fifa’s before July 31,” said Peemdech.

 

 

Timeline of the fiasco

May 10 – FAT president Worawi Makudi suggests that the presidential election originally scheduled for June 15 might be postponed, citing the need to approve the association’s new regulations before the poll.

May 15 – Worawi confirms the postponement after a meeting with Fifa, who say the FAT vote must be held in accordance with Fifa’s new rules.  

May 20 – Annop Singtothong, vice president of Thai Premier League club Chonburi FC and a key rival of Worawi, asks for clarification on the postponement from the Sports Authority.

June 14 – A Min Buri court issues an injunction stopping a vote, due to take place the following day, to approve amendments to FAT regulations in line with new Fifa rules.

June 15 – The FAT complies with the court order by announcing the cancellation of the vote.