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And now, with the prospect of an executive endorsement not an election, National Sports Administrator Miley Garcia says that the government plans to intervene.

Ismael "Miley" Garcia, National Sports Administrator
"Actually what has happen is that the executive of the FFB through their general secretary has said the person who wanted to content the election has not been properly nominated and so that person on the slate were eliminated from the contest and so the FFB despite the urging of the ministry has decide that they are going to proceed with a endorsement congress this Saturday in Belmopan. Now I have to explain that the government of Belize or the ministry of sports cannot stop any sporting organization from having an election but there is the sports act that governs sports in Belize and that sports act says that in the month of January every registered sporting organization must submit the names of its members and their addresses to the national sports council. At that time the national sports council will have the right to decide you think that this organization is legitimate and whether the national sports council accepts the results of you elections or purported elections."

Andrea Polanco
"What is the ministry of sports going to do about this?"

Ismael "Miley" Garcia, National Sports Administrator
"Like I said any sporting organization can elect its officials and they can proceed with their elections and they can say they are the executive however you have to understand the matter of sovereignty, the nation of Belize is a sovereign state. FIFA is the international organization that administers football but Belize is a sovereign state, so when you go abroad to represent Belize and you speaking in the name of Belize that has to be supported by the ministry of sports, that is clearly outline in the sports act, its says there, teams, individuals representing or purporting to represent Belize must have the sanction of the ministry so at some point I think that the government will have to decide whether the FFB can attend any of these FIFA meetings or can take any team to any international competition or whatever using the name of this country and our flag and our anthem."

Andrea Polanco
"So this Saturday there will still a an election held?"

Ismael "Miley" Garcia, National Sports Administrator
"From what we understand there will be an endorsement congress that which a slate will be endorse and this is because of a letter that has been circulated by the FFB to the media, there has been no copy, the minister has written to the FFB expressing his opinions of his findings and also exerting the president to postpone the election that he has stated for December 18, we have receive no response from the FFB."

Andrea Polanco
"Now that we see happening has there been any response from maybe some of the coaches, some of the club owners, some of the players, have they contacted the ministry of sports?"

Ismael "Miley" Garcia, National Sports Administrator
"Well certainly I think there are letters that are being sent copied to us that in which the footballers in the Toledo District for example have written to the FFB saying that the person that is coming to vote in that election does not represent them, the Stann Creek district has also indicated that, I think the Cayo District sent us a copy of a letter also and so there have been reaction all over. One of the thing is that what has always hung over the heads of Belizeans is that the FFB has always hung the threat of us being suspended or ban from FIFA, but one of the things you have to understand is that if we are ban or suspended from FIFA then no persons or individuals or organizations can receive monies on behalf of the people of Belize because remember the is sovereignty, it implies that if monies are being sent to Belize it is being sent in the names of every single Belizean and therefore the reaction we are getting from people over there is that if this is a necessary step if at some point because the government decides to enforce jurisdiction, territorial jurisdiction over an organization and we were to be suspended or ban from FIFA in this case that so be it. In fact n Belize City somebody nothing from leaves nothing to nothing."

That decision will be made in January in the coming year. A ban or suspension from FIFA will mean that there will be no participation in International Football. But until then we'll wait and see. The other members endorsed for the FFB committee include: Bernaldino Pech for senior vice president, and David Jones for vice president.