The World Sailing General Election is due on 1 November 2020, and the election committee is now accepting nominations from the Member National Authorities (MNAs). The MNAs are the principal members and regulatory authority of World Sailing. The general election of the board is conducted every four years to elect the President and Vice-Presidents.
The candidates can now email the request for the Election Pack to the election committee. The MNAs can send their representatives to participate in the general election and to cast their vote to elect the President and seven Vice-Presidents. To be eligible for contesting in the election, the candidate should be supported by at least five nominations. The last date of accepting nominations is 6 September 2020.
The board mandates that the candidates should demonstrate a commitment to serve. Additionally, once selected, the candidate will not be able to participate in any championships conducted by US Sailing Committee. So the candidates should choose between representing an event and being ready for serving.
To ensure a fair election with equality and mutual respect, the Committee, in conjunction with the World Sailing Ethics Commission, has laid the rules that regulate the code of conduct. In their nominations, the candidates need to certify that they have complied with the election rules and will continue to do so.
According to the Committee, the election rules apply to the candidates and any other person under the World Sailing’s Constitution and Regulations’ jurisdiction. The word ‘Candidate’ refers to the person contesting the elections as well as any other body or person who supports the candidate with his or her knowledge. The rule mandates that the candidate should ensure that the promotional activities are carried out with moderation and dignity. Candidates may also submit a promotional video to promote their candidacy and the video will be uploaded to the World Sailing Website and their selected social media channels.
To be approved, the video should be submitted within the specified time and should comply with the specifications (format, length, etc.) laid down by the committee. Upon failing to adhere to the specifications, the committee could disapprove the video.
Proposal for virtual Annual Conference and General Assembly 2020
Amid the current pandemic crisis and the subsequent travel restrictions, the possibility of the event has been held in doubt. The MNAs were asked to vote on a special resolution that supported a virtual Annual Conference and General Assembly. Fifty-one votes were required for the resolution to pass. The resolution passed with a majority of 59 against nine.
Some MNAs have requested the committee to consider a middle ground, wherein the Annual Conference can be held in Abu Dhabi, and those who are able to travel can cast the vote there. Those unable to travel can be allowed to use electronic voting methods. However, the committee is yet to decide on this. The committee has set a deadline of August 2020 to decide on hosting the Annual Conference on 1 November 2020 in Abu Dhabi as scheduled.
