New FAM constitution bars Bassam from contesting upcoming election

The newly adopted constitution of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) has effectively disqualified former president Bassam Adeel Jaleel from contesting in the association’s upcoming presidential election.

FAM officially opened the application process for its presidential election today. The announcement, published in the government gazette, outlines the eligibility criteria that all candidates must meet as per the revised FAM constitution.

Legal experts point to Article 6 of the candidate eligibility requirements as the clause that would effectively block Bassam’s candidacy. The article explicitly states that candidates must not have been found guilty or sanctioned by FIFA’s Ethics Committee or any other sports authority.

Bassam was handed a nine-month suspension by FIFA’s Independent Ethics Committee in July of last year. Although the suspension period ended in March, the ruling was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after Bassam filed an appeal.

In addition to the eligibility conditions, FAM has also issued a mandatory integrity assurance form. The third section of the form includes a direct question asking candidates whether they have ever been subjected to disciplinary action by a sports authority for violating ethical standards outlined in Part 2, Section 5 of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

This further solidifies the barrier preventing Bassam from participating in the election.

Bassam previously contested in the presidential election that FAM attempted to hold for the second time last year, alongside former FAM president Ahmed Thoriq (Tom). That election was later halted by FIFA, leading to bringing the association to a state of normalization and amending its constitution.

It is expected that Thoriq will contest again in the newly announced election, which is being held under the supervision of the Normalization Committee.

The deadline for submitting candidacy applications is Sunday, July 6. The election is scheduled for July 26, coinciding with the conclusion of the Normalization Committee’s one-year term.