Indonesia FA fails to elect new chairman
Reuters - Friday 20 May 2011, 16:38
JAKARTA - Time is running out for
Indonesia's football association (PSSI) to avoid FIFA sanctions
after a rowdy meeting on Friday failed to elect a new chairman.
World governing body FIFA appointed a so-called
'normalisation committee' in April to organise the election for
the PSSI following chaotic scenes when opponents of former
chairman Nurdin Halid broke into the election meeting.
Halid was jailed in 2007 for misusing funds but continued to
run the PSSI from his cell.
On Friday the head of the normalisation committee stopped
the meeting after six hours as rival sides tried to grab the
microphone and over three-quarters of vote holders demanded
nominees banned by FIFA be included in the contest.
"Because the situation is no longer conducive and it's
impossible for us to come up with an outcome, by saying thanks
be to God and my deepest apology to the people of Indonesia, I
state that the congress is halted," said Agum Gumelar, the
committee head.
The abrupt closure of the meeting without a decision sparked
more shouting and protests while security officers jumped on the
stage to try to protect the committee and a FIFA observer.
The barred nominees are George Toisutta, an Indonesian army
general, and Arifin Panigoro, a wealthy businessmen.
Both were banned after FIFA pressure for involvement in
launching a breakaway Indonesian League (LPI) which attracted
teams from the PSSI-supported Indonesia Super League (ISL).
Gumelar told Reuters that it is unlikely the congress would
re-open.
"For now we will just wait for FIFA's decision," he said.
"They sent an observer who could see the situation with his own
eyes."
The developments could jeopardise Indonesia's participation
in the 2014 World Cup qualifying rounds should FIFA decide on a
suspension.
Indonesia, ranked 130th by FIFA, have been drawn to play
Turkmenistan in the second round of Asian qualifying, with the
first leg to take place on July 23 in Ashgabat before the return
in Jakarta five days later.
Despite a huge football-mad population, Indonesia's only World
Cup appearance was in pre-independence days in 1938 as the Dutch
East Indies and is not recognised by the PSSI.