Time to get rid of interim committees..

Local cricket world was shocked last week with the stunning disclosure of leaking of some sensitive Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) documents to a third party. It was alleged that some sensitive and confidential SLC files relating to key sponsorship agreements have been taken away by a third party on verbal instructions to its marketing division by a top SLC Interim Committee official.

Reports said that the necessary prior approval of the entire IC membership has not been obtained to hand over these files to a certain individual who is neither a member of the SLC Interim Committee nor its Sponsorship Committee. For that matter, the person who has taken away the three key sponsorship files is not even an employee of the SLC, but the brother of former Performance Digital Analyst of SLC.

The motive behind the removal of those files under the blessings of a top SLC official is anybody’s guess. Undoubtedly, the confidentiality clauses and disclosure agreements have now been made available to interested parties in an unhealthy manner.

The individual who had taken away those files is a person who frequently bids for open tenders called by the SLC. Having failed recently in his bid to secure the sponsorship rights for a digital recording contract, this person had sought the blessings of a top SLC official to gather confidential information in three separate files identified in the news reports as those pertaining to SLC agreements with MAS Holdings, Red Bull and Agile.

Neither the SLC nor the three sponsors have denied the controversial news reports although the e-Mail correspondence on the matter among top SLC officials has become public. Surprisingly, a top SLC official had said that there is nothing wrong in handing over those files to an outsider or a third party attending a sponsorship discussion as far as he or she is invited for such a meeting.

A former SLC Secretary and present Interim Committee member who had served in the late Minister Gamini Dissanayake era, had strongly objected to these moves. In his e-Mail to the senior most SLC officials, the veteran official had strongly opposed the release of these files to an outsider. “For one thing, it is irregular and he holds no status in the organisation and this would create precedence. I am unable to take responsibility for such release of files in the event something untoward should happen,” he hadtold fellow SLC Interim Committee members in an e-Mail.

“In my view I cannot take responsibility for the release of any files to outsiders unless Interim Committee and Sponsorship Committee approval is obtained for very good and substantiated reasons,” he adds. He had alleged that the person who had taken away the files is involved with a tender by one of the three sponsors, making matters worse.

Sidath, a gentleman cricketer

Many consider Chairman of the SLC Interim Committee Chairman Sidath Wettimuny a gentleman and a clean person. If such notorious acts are taking place at the SLC with or without Wettmuny’s knowledge, it would seriously affect the reputation of the former Sri Lanka opener.

Hence, he should keep a vigil eye on officials who try to make super fortunes out of raw deals. If some mischievous things had taken place even without Wettimuny’s blessings, Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera should order an immediate investigation as the Interim Committee is only answerable to the Sports Minister who had appointed them.

That is precisely why we have rejected interim committees time and again.

Instead, we advocate an elected Executive Committees to run affairs of all National Sports Associations (NSAs). When a NSA is run by an elected, Executive Committee, those officials are answerable to the member clubs, associations and affiliated bodies who had voted them. But it is not the same scenario when it comes to interim committees.

As I have stated before in these columns, Interim Committees should not become permanent administrations of NSAs. Of course, the Sports Ministerhas every right to dissolve even an elected Ex-Co if he finds something fishy. In such cases, the Sports Minister is empowered by the National Sports Act to dissolve a NSA and replace it with an interim administration.

But such interim committee should only be there for a short period.During such period, the Sports Minister could hold an impartialinvestigation to the conduct of the dissolved or suspended Ex-Co. If the allegations are not proved beyond reasonable doubt, the Sports Minister could either reinstate a suspended Ex-Co or call for fresh elections tothat NSA under the Sports Ministry patronage.

Whatever it may be, an interim committee should not be there for a longer period, undermining the rights and aspirations of that NSA’s member clubs, associations and affiliated bodies. No sooner the investigations are over, the Sports Ministry should take immediate action to restore democracy in that NSA.

Since the membership of a NSA has no right to question the conduct of an Interim Committee, those ‘appointed’ members could go astray, against the wishes of its member clubs, associations and affiliated bodies. Unless the Sports Minister closely monitors their conduct or investigate on whatever the allegations leveled against them, members of an Interim Committee could abuse power.

Apart from cricket, interim administrations that exist in certain other sports too should be replaced with elected Executive Committees. There is little or no room for an elected Ex-Co member to go astray as all his moves are carefully being monitored by the members of that NSA. But the same cannot be said about an interim committee member. That is precisely why we have always opposed longer existence of interim committees.

More ICs than elected

Unfortunately, the country’s cricket governing body has more often than not been managed by interim committees. Ever since Sri Lanka’s 1999 World Cup debacle, the SLC has been governed by interim committees than elected Executive Committees! This does not sound well for the game and its promotion.

Hence, it’s high time that Dayasiri calls for fresh elections to the SLC to end the innings of Wettimuny and his team. At a time President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are making every endeavour to practice good governance and restore five-star democracy, the country’s sports administration too should regain democratic rights.

We earnestly hope that the destiny of the country’s cricket administration would go to correct hands after a democratically elected Ex-Co takes over the control of the SLC. It is only under such administration that the aspirations of member cricket clubs and affiliated bodies would be fulfilled.

We are not lobbying for any individuals! Whoever who aspires to come to the top seat of the SLC should get the mandate of the member clubs and associations. Hence, the new SLC President and his team could have their own way although an interim committee couldn’t afford to do such. Let the democracy be restored at the SLC sooner than later so that the elected set of new cricket officials could put the administration on the right track.