The election to the presidency of the Malian Football Federation is generating controversy. For several weeks now, sports players, including a former FEMAFOOT vice-president, have been denouncing the electoral process, which is still underway. FIFA, seized the matter by the Malian Sports Minister, and has appointed two of its members to supervise the work of the extraordinary elective general meeting.
Finger pointed at the electoral commission
To fully grasp all this, we need to go back to August 1, the date of the press briefing by the first-instance electoral commission at FEMAFOOT headquarters, which announced that it had selected two lists – those of Salaha Baby and outgoing president Mamoutou Touré – out of the 4 that had submitted candidatures. The candidacy lists of the other two candidates, Sékou Diogo Keita and Hammadoun Sangho, were invalidated by the Commission for lack of sponsorship.
According to article 41.3, “the election of the Executive Committee shall be by ballot of lists and each list must be supported by at least seven (07) members of FEMAFOOT, including at least two (2) Regional Leagues and five (5) professional clubs. The list must include at least two female candidates, on pain of invalidation. Each member may support only one list.
Following the invalidation of his candidacy for the FEMAFOOT presidency, Dr Sékou Diogo Kéita blames the electoral commission’s decision. Reacting at a press conference to the controversial issue of candidate sponsorship, he explained. “the transitional provision (article 119.2 of the FEMAFFOT texts) which allowed D1 and D2 clubs to represent professional clubs at the FEMAFOOT General Assembly has lapsed since the end of the 2021-2022 sports season. Consequently, it makes sponsorship impossible”. He added: “There are no professional clubs in Mali.
Salaha Baby validated and then… rejected
After his candidacy and that of Salaha Baby had been validated, Mamoutou Touré asked the Femafoot Elections Appeals Committee to invalidate his opponent’s candidacy on the grounds of double sponsorship. Following a legal analysis, the Appeals Committee issued its decision on August 4, invalidating Salaha Baby’s candidacy on the basis of documents provided by the outgoing president.
This is an “unacceptable” decision, says Abba Mahamane, a member of the campaign team for Salaha Baby’s list of candidates. This unjustified decision, he says, taken by the Election Appeals Commission is not based on any FEMAFOOT text.
Mamatou Touré remanded in custody
On Wednesday August 9, the news broke. Mamoutou Touré, President of the Malian Football Federation and candidate in his own succession, was remanded in custody at the Maison Centrale d’Arrêt in Bamako. He was charged and remanded in custody after being questioned by the examining magistrate of cabinet number 9 of the economic and financial division of the high court of commune 3 in the district of Bamako, on charges of damaging public property, forgery and use of forgeries.
The election of the new executive board is scheduled for August 29, as the process is still underway, as announced on August 12 by the federation’s secretary general, Ibrahim Traoré, at a press briefing.
The camp of candidate Salaha Baby has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn the invalidation of his list by the Malian Football Federation’s appeal electoral commission. Candidate Mamoutou Touré’s list continues to visit voting members, as it is currently the only validated list.
The Ministry of Sport refers the matter to FIFA
The latest development is the referral of the case to FIFA by the Malian Minister of Sports and Citizen Construction. In a letter dated August 15 addressed to Secretary General Fatouma Samoura, Abdoul Kassim Ibrahim Fomba “asks FIFA to take an interest in the process underway, so that it is carried out in strict compliance with the texts governing soccer”, stressing that the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Mali cannot accept “that the smooth running of soccer in Mali be undermined, and that this , This could lead to splits in the population between different regions of the country, with the serious consequences that this could engender, in particular disturbances to public order”.
In a press release published on August 22, the Union des Anciens Footballeurs du Mali, headed by Moctar Sow, which brings together several generations of former Malian players, decided to remain neutral at the end of its meeting held on the subject.
