CLARIFICATION ON EARLY VOTING AT THE MFA AGM

With reference to claims, being made on the local media, that the Council of the Malta Football Association was allegedly legally incorrect when approving an amendment to the Regulations of the Electoral Commission, within the Standing Orders of the Association (Section II of the MFA Handbook), the Association reiterates its stand that the position adopted by the Council is not in breach of the MFA Statute and is legally correct.    The amendment, in question, prescribes that Council Members who declare and prove that they will be abroad on the day of a General Meeting wherein elections for the posts of President, Vice-Presidents and Treasurer of the Association are held, will be allowed to vote eight (8) days prior to the General Meeting, The Association points out that Article 27 of the Statute in no part regulates when and how elections are to be carried out, but lists all items that have to be addressed during the Annual General Meeting, and when nominations for such elections are to be submitted to the General Secretary of the Association. Furthermore, Article 32(v) of the same Statute prescribes that: “Elections at General Meetings shall be conducted by an Electoral Commission established in accordance with the Regulations of the Electoral Commission established by the Council and in accordance with the provisions of the same regulations.”  The MFA Council has in fact amended the Regulations of the Electoral Commission. All the Council, with the exception of one abstention, voted in favour of the amendments, thereby exercising its right to prescribe the procedure that is to be followed by the Electoral Commission in the conduction of the electoral process. This has been done in the light of the abovementioned provision of the Statute, thus making such amendment legally correct and binding.