After four years of reform processes under the presidency of Jizhong Wei, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) will have its first contested election during its 33rd Congress this week.
In 2008 Ruben Acosta stepped down after 24 years as president of FIVB, and his seat was taken by Chinese Jizhong Wei who pledged to reform the federation and restore its tarnished reputation. The result of these reforms will show this week as one of the more radical changes in the federation’s statutes, the presidential election procedure, will be brought into action when the fourth president in the federation’s 65 years of existence is elected.
For the first time in the federation’s history, there will be three candidates contesting the spot, and the entire procedure will be overlooked by an Advisory Election Committee, chaired by Wei himself, who has chosen not to run for a second term. This committee will appoint election scrutinisers at the congress.
“This will be the first democratic election in the history of the FIVB,” President Jizhong Wei said according to a FIVB press release.
The three contesters are Doug Beal (USA), FIVB Board of Administration member and CEO of USA Volleyball.
Ary Graça (Brazil), FIVB Executive Vice-President, President of the South America Volleyball Confederation and the President of the Brazil Volleyball Federation.
Chris Schacht (Australia), President of the Australia Volleyball Federation. The election will take place on Friday 21 September 2012 during the FIVB 33rd World Congress in Anaheim, California.
SOURCE: FIVB