(ATR) Hamad Kalkaba did not mince words when telling Around the Rings how he planned to continue his bid for the presidency of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa.
"The truth is that there is cabal by some people on the ANOCA Executive Committee to get me out of the race for ANOCA President," Kalkaba said. "My team and I will fight this till the last man standing."
In a stunning last-minute decision, the ANOCA Executive Committee barred Kalkaba from standing for election of ANOCA President. A letter from Kalkaba to the National Olympic Committees of Africa obtained by ATR says the executive committee cites a use of the Cameroon government in aiding his presidential campaign. The letter, drafted by Kalkaba, says that the executive committee "[suspended] me of all activities of the Olympic movement in the continent."
Kalkaba was standing for ANOCA President against longtime leader Lassana Palenfo from the Ivory Coast. Kalkaba campaigned on "restoring trust" in ANOCA for a new era while Palenfo’s campaign focused on accomplishments reached by the continent under the current presidency.
ANOCA is set to meet in Djibouti this week from May 9-11 for a General Assembly, where the election would take place. Kalkaba told ATR he is currently in Djibouti lobbying for the General Assembly to decide his fate.
When asked for comment on the situation, a spokesperson for Palenfo told ATR that "the Executive Committee took the decision in the absence of the President being an interested party."
Kalkaba says the leaked document to the ANOCA Executive Committee was done by a private citizen informing the government of his manifesto. He told ATR that he plans to submit the incident to the IOC Ethics Commission given that ANOCA does not currently have an ethics commission. A request for comment from the IOC on the situation was not returned.
"The document describes the activities carried out as part of my campaign and those I intended to undertake in the future," Kalkaba wrote in the letter. "It is actually my whole campaign strategy, a confidential document where I explained to the authorities, as a Citizen my views and ideas on how the campaign was going.
"Obviously the fact that someone is in possession of a document not addressed to him, is an offense in itself, a breach of the secrecy of correspondence but moreover when he stands to benefit from eliminating a competitor for the election."
Kalkaba questioned the legality of the means in which the document was acquired. He also says that the ANOCA Executive Committee did not constitutionally possess the powers to strip him of the chance to run against Palenfo.
"My candidacy was validated by the ANOCA Executive Committee during its session of 5 May 2017 in Djibouti, in strict compliance with the provisions of our Statutes and the letter of the ANOCA Secretary General calling for candidatures," Kalkaba added. "Consequently, this candidacy remains valid and I urge you to continue to support it as you have already demonstrated, in order to enable us all to give our institution the new dynamic that it needs so much. It is time for change."
Written by Aaron Bauer
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