Ward takes on Todt over FIA’s failure to follow IOC standards

FIA presidential candidate David Ward has taken another shot at rival Jean Todt by pointing out discrepancies between the way the FIA operates and the guidelines laid down by the International Olympic Committee.

Todt sees his successful efforts at getting the FIA recognised by the IOC as one of his biggest achievements.

However, Ward has written to FIA member clubs to point out the apparent anomalies in the arrangement.

Ward wrote: “Jean Todt claims that, ‘Membership of this family of international sports organisations once again proves that the FIA can now boast the highest standards of governance.‘ For this claim to be true one would expect that the FIA fully respects the standards set out in the IOC’s ‘Basic Universal Principles of Good Government of the Olympic and Sports Movement’ and also that the newly created Ethics Committee would be structured along identical lines to the IOC’s equivalent body. Unfortunately neither is the case.

“Disappointingly the FIA consistently falls short of the IOC’s principles and best practices. The attached document compares some of the key IOC’s governance principles with FIA practice. It reveals weaknesses in the FIA election process, an Ethics Committee undermined by a flawed composition and reporting system, an absence of financial transparency, and lack of international accounting standards.

“All of these weaknesses would be easily overcome if the FIA simply followed closely the guidance offered by the principles and practice of the IOC. So rather than boast that recognition by the IOC leaves the FIA with no need for further governance reform, I think the FIA’s membership of the Olympic and Sports Movement creates new responsibilities to apply the IOC’s good governance principles.

“In fact the FIA now has a duty to uphold the ‘Fundamental Principles of Olympism.’ This includes the ‘responsibility of ensuring that principles of good governance be applied.’ That is why I believe the FIA should now take action to fulfil these important and outstanding obligations.”

He goes on to suggest that there should be an independent review of the way the FIA operates. His letter can be found here: http://gallery.mailchimp.com/118437eec0352cad047fd181b/files/FIA_and_IOC_Governance_Principles_and_Practices_Compared.pdf