The CFU has been rocked by controversy since the scandal broke earlier this year and is currently in the midst of a power struggle after long-serving president Jack Warner resigned in the face of corruption allegations. The special task force is a working group that will critically look at reviewing and making recommendations regarding the CFU constitution; assess the legal structures of the organisation; propose interim measures for the administration and operation of the CFU and offer any other recommendations which are “pertinent and useful to the objectives of the group”.
Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) general secretary Horace Reid, a member of the task force, told the Jamaica Observer: “The countries of the CFU now have a glorious opportunity to contribute to the reform and modernisation of the Union and history demands that we take full advantage of this moment in the best interest of Caribbean and regional football.”
FIFA president Sepp Blatter last month moved to repair relations with the CFU by announcing a meeting in Zurich on December 20-21. Caribbean football’s top three elected officials – Warner, Lisle Austin and Horace Burrell – have either resigned while under investigation or been banned by FIFA since the bribery case emerged in May. Eleven Caribbean officials have been banned for up to 26 months, five have been reprimanded and a further six warned as to their future conduct after allegations they were involved in US$40,000 cash bribes being offered by former FIFA presidential candidate Bin Hammam.
Six officials, including former FIFA vice-president and CFU president Warner, resigned all of their football positions before any potential punishment could be issued. The new CFU working group will be responsible for developing resolutions, which will be presented at the meeting at FIFA headquarters. Both Blatter and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke are expected to be in attendance. However, Reid has maintained that the work of the task force cannot be seen as a move to act in lieu of the supreme body of the CFU – its voting Congress.
“The future of the CFU hangs in the balance and its resuscitation and revitalisation is contingent on the quality and sincerity of efforts during this interim period and ahead of any Congress,” he added. “The Congress of the CFU is the supreme body and is responsible for approving all changes to its statutes and structures.”
