Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
With April’s Asian Football Confederation elections rapidly approaching, the-afc.com caught up with Attorney Edwin B. Gastanes, Chairman of the AFC Electoral Committee to discover more about the details behind the process.
the-afc.com: What is the role of this committee in the 2015 elections?
Attorney Edwin B. Gastanes: In general terms, the role of the Electoral Committee is to organise and supervise the 2015 AFC elections as stated in the AFC Electoral Code. In particular, the Electoral Committee is responsible for strictly enforcing all AFC regulations applicable to the electoral process, to enforce the statutory deadlines for the elections, to examine the validity of the candidatures, to monitor the voting procedure, to count the votes, and to declare the official results.
the-afc.com: Who are the members of the AFC electoral committee?
Attorney Edwin B. Gastanes: The members of the Electoral Committee were elected by the AFC Extraordinary Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil on June 9, 2014. The Electoral Committee consists of members from the Legal Committee: Mr. Robert J. Torres, Mr Eissa Mohammed Saleh Al Housan and myself, and one member from the Audit Committee: Mr. Devanesan J. A. Evanson. All members have outstanding experience and qualifications.
the-afc.com: Could you explain the electoral process?
Attorney Edwin B. Gastanes: First and foremost, the Member Associations must decide upon the proposed amendments to the AFC Statutes which shall be presented at the AFC Extraordinary Congress in Melbourne, Australia on January 9, 2015. This decision will provide us with the exact number of positions available for election on the AFC Executive Committee. Currently, the term of every position on the AFC Executive Committee, with the exception of one, shall expire at the AFC Congress 2015. The AFC Executive Committee will subsequently call the election to be held on April 30, 2015 in accordance with the AFC Statutes. The Member Associations must submit proposed candidates to the AFC administration at the latest 60 days prior to the AFC Congress. From 60 days prior to the AFC Congress 2015, the Electoral Committee has a period of 15 days to examine the validity of all candidatures and publish the final list of candidates. Finally, the elections will be held on April 30, 2015.
the-afc.com: Electoral Guidelines have been published on the AFC website recently, what is the content of those guidelines?
Attorney Edwin B. Gastanes: The Electoral Committee has adopted these guidelines in order to ensure fair, honest and credible elections. Candidates must follow some basic rules in relation to the promotion of their candidature, their campaign activity, and abuse of official position. Furthermore, all candidates are bound by the AFC Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics and may be subject to investigations in cases of irregularities.