06/09/2013
NEWS STORY
David Ward, who is to stand for the presidency of the FIA at the forthcoming election, has published his manifesto.
Ward, who has served for the last twelve years as the FIA Foundation's Director General, is seeking an overhaul of the governance of the FIA, stating that it should be "promoting the effectiveness and accountability of its leadership".
"A comprehensive review of the FIA statutes and structure was proposed in Jean Todt's 2009 election manifesto," he writes. "Some useful progress has been made. For example, an Ethics Committee and the International Tribunal dealing with disciplinary matters have been established. These are welcome developments, but the comprehensive review promised in 2009 has fallen short. There is still work to be done.
"The FIA can give the impression of being antiquated and autocratic," he continues. "The powers of the Presidency are too wide to be effective or fully accountable. In some areas the trend for reform has been reversed. For example, the maximum possible period in office for the President has been extended from eight years to twelve."
In what must be seen as a clear swipe at the current presidency, he continues: "The threshold for nominations for Presidential candidates has been set high which favours the incumbent and deters other candidates. Recently there has also been unfortunate use of ‘support letters' at various FIA regional meetings which are designed to elicit public commitments of support before the election process even opens, thereby deterring alternative candidates from coming forward. These are of questionable legitimacy.
"The 2013 Presidential election is an important opportunity for the FIA membership to decide not just on their next leadership team but also on the further reforms the Federation still needs. To contribute to this vital debate, ‘Agenda for Change' offers 20 proposals that would modernise the FIA's governance making it more transparent and responsive to the membership."
He then points out the key areas where he believes reform is needed:
Presidency, Management, and Location;
Resources and Club Support;
Transparency and Good Governance;
Elections, Eligibility and Procedures.
The full manifesto can be found here (pdf)