FIFA to rule on Indonesian elections
Reuters - Sunday 22 May 2011, 09:36
JAKARTA - FIFA will decide on any
necessary action against the strife-torn Indonesian football
association (PSSI) during their congress on May 31 after chaotic
scenes brought a halt to the PSSI leadership elections.
The FIFA-appointed normalisation committee head Agum Gumelar
stopped the PSSI congress on Friday after six hours without a
new leader elected after some opponents of former chairman
Nurdin Halid broke in to the meeting.
Gumelar also had members attempting to grab his microphone
and struggled to deal with the majority of voters who were
demanding the reinstatement of two leadership candidates, George
Toisutta and Arifin Panigoro, banned by FIFA.
"We will immediately write a report (of the congress) and
send it to FIFA. The world federation will make its decision
based on the report," Gumelar was quoted as saying by the
Jakarta Post newspaper on Sunday.
"FIFA and its representatives had directly explained its
banning of George and Arifin (during the congress). We, as the
holder of FIFA mandate, will certainly take its decision as our
guidance."
Gumelar conceded that FIFA observers Thierry Regenass and
Frank van Hattum were not impressed by what they saw at Friday's
meeting and hoped the world governing body would be lenient.
"I asked them not to let FIFA sanction us because we all
know the serious impact that we might incur. They said that they
were disappointed with the behaviour of the congress
participants and they felt embarrassed at how the participants
defamed FIFA as well as PSSI.
"However, let's just wait and see on May (31)", Gumelar
added.
FIFA had warned Indonesia previously that they could face a
suspension. A ban could jeopardise their participation in the
second round of 2014 World Cup Asian qualifying where they are
scheduled to face Turkmenistan over two legs at the end of July.