Weightlifting

Member nations including Fiji pressure OWF

May 6, 2021 4:35 pm

Weightlifting Fiji President Della Shaw-Elder

Fiji is one of the countries demanding Oceania Weightlifting Federation elections at an Extraordinary Congress.

On Monday, Weightlifting Fiji President Della Shaw-Elder, wrote to OWF’s President and General Secretary, Marcus Stephen and Paul Coffa.

In her letter, Shaw-Elder said in line with the OWF Constitution, Fiji asks to include the elections of office bearers in the agenda, as provided in the formal notice for the Extraordinary Congress.

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She quoted article six of the constitution stating it does not limit the items to be included in an Extraordinary Congress, so it may include elections.

Shaw-Elder is urging the OWF to abide by the intent and sprit of the Constitution, that is, elections during the Olympic year at the Extraordinary Congress for which formal notice has already been provided.

The former national weightlifter has also requested information regarding members’ subscriptions, copies of the minutes of the 2019 Congress, the last one held and annual reports and audited financial statements for the past two years.

She says these are needed so they can review them in order to submit propositions to be included in the agenda.

The date for the Extraordinary Congress which was requested by nine nations who appear to be unhappy with the way the sport is governed by OWF has been set for July 24, the opening day of Tokyo, Olympic Games.

Oceania’s 22 member federations were informed of the date last week, more than a month after the OWF first received a formal request to hold an Extraordinary Congress, and only after it had taken legal advice.

Over recent weeks, some replies to emails addressed to the OWF’s President and general secretary, have been sent direct by an Australian law firm.

The lawyers have “interpreted” the OWF Constitution and advised member federations that elections cannot be held until after the Olympic Games because “an Extraordinary Congress is not the same as an Annual Congress”.

Samoa Weightlifting Federation President Jerry Wallwork, said the legal advice was “irrelevant and unhelpful” and that lawyers had no place in the process of deciding on the OWF’s Constitutional matters.

Coffa told insidethegames that the OWF had sought legal advice “as a matter of good governance”.

OWF lawyer, Isaac Apel, wrote to member federations to say that in accordance with their advice, OWF elections cannot be held at an Extraordinary Congress because the OWF Constitution provides that they can only be held at an Annual Congress.

He said an Extraordinary Congress “is not the same as an Annual Congress” and that elections “will be held at the Annual Congress in Nauru on 25 August”.

Apel had earlier advised that any Congress could not be held virtually – which will now happen – because the OWF Constitution “envisages” that a Congress should be held in person.

However, because of travel restrictions due to the pandemic, there is no guarantee that teams will be able to fly to Nauru in August.

Source: insidethegames