– This is classic IOC. This is classic Thomas Bach, says Helleland to news She refers to the opening of the IOC session on Sunday where several members turned on the microphones and started to speak. Several of the members want the re-election of Thomas Bach as IOC president. – It is thanks to you that we have saved the Olympic sports movement and still allow athletes from all over the world to continue developing in their sport and their skills. There have been a long series of challenges you have dealt with. I think it is important to have such an exceptionally good leader, said IOC member Mustapha Berraf, before he suggested that the IOC change the regulations so that Bach could be elected again. IOC MEMBER: Morinari Watanabe when he was elected as an IOC member in 2018. Photo: JUAN MABROMATA / AFP Another IOC member, Morinari Watanabe, went even further: – I love you, President Thomas Bach, because I think you are the right person. That’s my opinion, thank you very much, Watanabe said at the IOC session. Linda Hofstad Helleland is currently deputy chair of the Council of Europe’s Sports Committee and has been vice-president of WADA, where the IOC has half of the members. She reacts strongly to the session. – This is a shoe game where everyone is assigned roles. Someone stands up and says that Bach has done a good job. The next stands up and says that the rules must be changed so that he can continue. The third says that good reasons for that could be a pandemic, or no election campaign before the Olympics. – Bach replies that this was pleasant and surprising. Little by little, more people insist on the demand that he must persist. And finally Bach thanks for the trust and he is unanimously elected based on applause, writes Helleland in an SMS to news. – Total lack of democracy The proposal is controversial because the sitting president is the first in history who has actually had time limits to consider. The IOC’s rules were changed in 2020, but now several members want to change back. The changes were then introduced to ensure good governance in the organisation. One of the most important principles for good governance is precisely that a leader should not sit for too long. Today’s regulations state that a president is elected for eight years, and can then be re-elected for another four years. That means a maximum of 12 years as president. Thomas Bach has now held the seat for ten years. The proposal for a Bach extension shows that the IOC is an undemocratic organisation, Helleland believes. – What we must think about is that the IOC members, minus the representatives of the athletes, are not elected, they are appointed. This type of process, like most processes in the IOC, has a total lack of democracy, she writes. news has submitted IOC Linda Hofstad Helleland’s statements without first receiving a response. It must be said that the proposal was quickly dismissed by John Coates, vice-president of the IOC and president of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). He leafed through his blue book while stating that such a proposal must come no later than 30 days before the Congress and that this is therefore not something that could be taken lightly in Mumbai. – It is not really my role to talk about the ulterior motive around it. My role today was simply to point out that it is not possible now. If there is anyone who wishes to change this, they must let us know and get it on the agenda, which will be published 30 days before the session. Then a 2/3 majority is required, says Coates to news and the rest of the press in Mumbai. Nevertheless, the proposal has become a talking point among the journalists at the IOC session. Keeping the door open for re-election At a press conference on Monday afternoon, Thomas Bach answered questions about the proposal. There he did not wish to close the door to a possible re-election. PRESIDENT: IOC President Thomas Bach at a press conference after the IOC session on Monday. news was not allowed to ask questions there. Photo: Rafiq Maqbool / AP – As I said on Sunday, I have made it clear that I am loyal to the regulations. It also means that I think a time limit makes a lot of sense and is necessary. At the same time, this is about mutual respect for these members and I want to answer them directly, not in the media. Linda Hofstad Helleland is now putting pressure on Norway’s representatives in the IOC. – I am very excited about what the two Norwegian representatives in the IOC, Kloster Aasen and Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, think about the rules being changed so that Bach can continue to sit, so that the high gentlemen at the top can protect each other’s power and positions. Kristin Kloster, who is the only Norwegian IOC representative in Mumbai, tells news that such a proposal is “not only easy”. – This is a large gathering with representatives from all over the world. They have different views on everything that has to do with regulations and such. So it’s perfectly natural and fine if someone wants to suggest things, it’s a matter of course in an open organisation. IOC MEMBERS: Kristin Kloster and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen at the sports council this summer. Berre Kristin Kloster was present at the IOC session in Mumbai. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB – How important is it to have a term limit for the president? – It was introduced in connection with an extensive audit process when it comes to governance issues. So it’s still there. – And how important is that? – There are probably slightly different views on it, says Kloster. President of the Norwegian Sports Confederation, Zaineb Al-Samarai, points out that it is important that international sports organizations have clear and predictable management systems. – NIF believes that time limits are one of many good tools to ensure good governance in international sport. If time limits are to be changed in this type of organisation, there should be good reasons for this. As of now, there is no concrete proposal for such a change, nor a rationale, says Al-Samarai. NIF is not part of the IOC, as the IOC is not a member organisation, and they therefore do not have the right to vote in this matter.
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– This is classic Thomas Bach – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
