Blatter unopposed! Really?

Dennie Quill, Columnist

I have never liked the idea of an unopposed election. I fervently believe in the constant exchange of ideas and ideals. When a candidate running for any office is left unchallenged, the result is that we effectively mute the voice of the opposition.

Leaders should always be held accountable for their stewardship, and that is why it is important for them to be questioned and challenged. By the time we go to press, Sepp Blatter would have coasted through the FIFA elections unopposed - once again handed a multimillion-dollar-a-year job on a silver platter.

Blatter is 75, has served as the world's top football administrator for 13 years, and is seeking a fourth term. During his reign, there have been charges of corruption, patronage and feudal politics. He has faced backlash because of insensitive remarks about women and homosexuals. But none of this has broken Blatter's swagger.

FIFA is built on various confederations and federations that make up its membership of 208 and, apparently, all of them believe Blatter has done a good job and have endorsed him fully. Wait, that can't be true, for Mohamed bin Hammam, who heads Asia's football federation, issued a challenge to Blatter.

However, it was short-lived, for the Qatari challenger was forced to withdraw his candidacy amid vote-buying charges. It is alleged that bin Hammam and CONCACAF football boss Jack Warner offered US$40,000 bribes to delegates attending a football association meeting in Trinidad in early May in a bid to secure 25 presidential votes. They have denied the charges, and Warner has promised to sing like a canary when the ethics committee has concluded its hearings.

Football fans are mostly interested in the skills displayed on the field and are not so keen on finding out what happens behind closed doors. Of course, the passion for football around the world translates into big revenue for the sponsors, clubs and players of the game. But the dark side of football governance has been on display in recent weeks. It appears there are many members of FIFA who are willing to look the other way and remain silent, and that the football body is determined to resist serious scrutiny.

dollars over ethics

Allegations of bribery swirling around the 2022 World Cup bid won by the tiny oil-rich desert state of Qatar suggest that FIFA is a troubled organisation. There is public perception that there are layers of intrigue behind football administration, which appears to value dollar bills above ethics. But Blatter says there is no crisis and is vowing to settle the matter within the family.

With England having lost out on its 2018 World Cup bid, criticisms of FIFA have reached a crescendo. And even while there is hope for a reopening of the 2022 bidding, there have been calls for Blatter's removal, on the grounds that his credibility has been shattered.

Blatter should face a real race and convince his colleagues that he deserves a fourth term. Few people believe Blatter has the ability, or the will, to effect the reforms needed to clean up FIFA's image, and by being elected unopposed he is likely to see this as an opportunity to tighten his grip on FIFA.

Dennie Quill is a veteran media practitioner. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and denniequill@hotmail.com.