Prince Ali supports demand for Scala to step down as FIFA election overseer
AMMAN: Prince Ali bin Al Hussein has backed a call for Domenico Scala to step aside as president of the committee overseeing the FIFA presidential election writes KEIR RADNEDGE.
The Jordanian is one of five candidates competing to succeed banned Sepp Batter, on February 26, as new leader of the world football federation.
Earlier this week Musa Bility, the president of the Liberian FA who was barred from standing on integrity grounds by Scala’s electoral committee, threatened to complain to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the issue.
Scala is the Swiss businessman who also heads FIFA’s audit and compliance ‘policy’ committee and created a blueprint for the reform proposals to be put before congress.
Last weekend he came under pressure from reform agitator Jamie Fuller for approving the candidacy of Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa despite allegations – which the Bahraini denies – about his role in a crackdown on human rights protesters in 2011.
Now Prince Ali has agreed with Bility that Scala should step down as electoral overseer because he is Swiss-Italian just like Gianni Infantino, the general secretary of European federation UEFA who is one of the other presidency candidates.
Precedent
In February last year – ahead of elections in May 2015 between Blatter and Prince Ali of Jordan – both Scala and former Swiss international forward Claudio Sulser, who was also on the committee, stepped aside.
Prince Ali said: “The member associations must have full confidence that the integrity of the election is beyond question. If any member association has concerns about the impartiality of the electoral process, those concerns must be respected and taken seriously.
“The suggestion by the Liberian Football Association that the head of FIFA’s electoral committee should step down is a valid request and in keeping with the precedent set by the committee chairman exactly one year ago.
“Avoiding even the appearance of a conflict of interest is particularly important at time when people around the world, including players and fans, are questioning FIFA’s integrity and ethical standards.
“Acceding to this request would not be a mark of shame. It would be a sign of respect for a member association and an indication that FIFA has high ethical standards.
“I stand with the president of the Liberian Football Association and state publicly that I back his request.”
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