Yahoo – AFP,
Luke Phillips, Dec 3, 2016
Monaco (AFP) - The IAAF on Saturday unanimously adopted a reform package drawn up by president Sebastian Coe in a bid to end "grotesque" corruption that has rocked track and field's governing body.
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| International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) chief Sebastian Coe speaks to the media during a IAAF council meeting in Monaco, on December 1, 2016 (AFP Photo/Valery Hache) |
Monaco (AFP) - The IAAF on Saturday unanimously adopted a reform package drawn up by president Sebastian Coe in a bid to end "grotesque" corruption that has rocked track and field's governing body.
In a
Special Congress in Monaco, 182 member federations voted for the reforms, with
10 against and five invalid votes. Some 197 of the IAAF's 213 member
federations were present for the vote, the result of which was a major boost
for Coe.
"Let
me thank you for the confidence that you have shown the Council today in the
reform proposals that you have agreed to. This is a very important moment in
the history of our sport," said Coe.
Coe's
reforms, with a nod to disgraced predecessor Lamine Diack's abuse of the
presidency, include stripping himself of some powers, with the president and
IAAF Council not allowed to serve more than 12 years and with more checks put
in place.
"Too
much power rested in the hands of too few people," Coe said.
The reforms
also push for gender balance, handing athletes a greater voice and crucially
establishing an independent integrity unit that would manage all anti-doping
matters and be responsible for greater intelligence gathering.
"We're
putting in place a framework that should have been there years ago," Coe
said, telling members that they should all feel "violated" given the
amount of money that had been siphoned off instead of having been "used
for the development of athletics."
"It's
bad enough that any of this happened, but it cannot happen for a second time,
not on our watch, not anyone else's watch.
"Let's
not beat around the bush, our sport, our family, is under threat. Sitting out
the fight is not an option."
Since Coe took
office in August 2015, the IAAF has been mired in the fall-out from the
presidency of Diack, at the centre of a corruption scandal in which several
former senior IAAF officials were found to have bribed Russian athletes in
return for keeping quiet over positive doping tests.
Coe
admitted that the reforms had not been to everyone's taste, all the while
praising the "civilised discourse" and the "clarity and honesty
of dialogue".
"The
fundamental principles, I believe, have broad support," said the Briton, a
two-time Olympic 1500m gold medallist.
"On
gender balance, a number of areas told me they needed more time - you've got
it.
"I
want checks and balances in place... I don't want to be in an office choosing
carpets and signing off expenses.
"I
would not ask for change if I didn't think we needed it."
Bold
stance
Coe's bold
stance on gender equality envisages the 26-member Council transitioning to
half-men, half-women by 2023. At the 2019 Council election, he wants a minimum
of nine of each gender elected including two vice-presidents of each gender.
Indicative
of the ground shift that will entail was that just three of the representatives
of the 42 member federations who addressed the Congress before the vote were
women, notably women's world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe
representing Britain and also including representatives from the Cook Islands
and the Turks and Caicos.
"We
have to put these changes in," said Radcliffe. "There is only one
choice, there isn't time to delay and talk about this, we need to act now to
save our sport."
Notably
voting against the reforms was Saudi Arabia while Qatar, the host of the 2019
World Athletics Championships and 2022 Football World Cup, voted for.
Abstainers
included Lamine Diack's Senegal, vice-president Sergey Bubka's Ukraine and
track powerhouses Jamaica, despite Usain Bolt picking up a record sixth IAAF
Athlete of the Year award on Friday and throwing his weight behind Coe.
"I
know that Seb Coe is trying to make track and field more transparent to
everyone so they can see what shape it is in and to make sure there is not one
person fully in control," said Bolt.
"That's
a bold move from him as IAAF president.
"That's
also helped the sport to make people more confident and to trust the sport
more."
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