Presidential candidate for the National Association of Athletics Administrations of Trinidad and Tobago (NAAATT) elections, Dr Ian Hypolite is crying foul ahead of Saturday’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).

“As a candidate for president of the New Vision team,” Hypolite said in a media release on Saturday, “I wish to draw attention to some disturbing events leading up to the election. I have communicated incessantly using internal channels with very little response and therefore I wish to communicate outwardly at this point in time.”

The hybrid AGM – at the Ato Boldon Stadium for vaccinated members and virtually for the unvaccinated – is scheduled for 2 p.m.

“On November 16, representatives of Team New Vision met with a service provider at the NAAATT secretariat in Couva at the invitation of the general secretary (Dexter Voisin). The service provider alluded to potential problems with the virtual voting process. Team New Vision requested a listing of the delegates so there could be transparency in the monitoring of the virtual vote.

“The acting president of the NAAATT (George Comissiong) agreed,” Hypolite continued, “but the general secretary vehemently disagreed. At a meeting after the presentation by the provider, the acting president then joined his general secretary in disagreement.”

Hypolite said it has since come to the attention of the “New Vision” team that the service provider at the meeting was not the one that had been recommended by the current NAAATT board.

“Further, several requests to have the delegate listing provided have been met with stony silence. On November 20, the general secretary gave a numerical account of eligible delegates and stated that close to half that number would be voting virtually. This further emphasises the need for mechanisms to ensure transparency.

“The general secretary,” Hypolite continued, “sent a list of 59 that would be eligible to vote, a change, without explanation, from the 57 previously confirmed. Team New Vision is therefore very concerned about a repetition of a pattern of gerrymandering at elections in the past through ‘ghost clubs’ and other non-transparent means. We therefore bring to the wider public our requests:

“To be provided with an answer as to why a new provider was introduced without informing the membership; to be provided with the bona fides of the new provider; to be provided with the listing of the delegates sent to all member clubs; to prevent the unilateral manipulation of voting clubs and to adhere to the listing provided on October 8, 2021 i.e. 57 clubs.

“We see the behaviour of the general secretary and the president,” Hypolite continued, “as jeopardising the democratic process and an attempt to derail an election which was already postponed in 2020.”

In a letter to the NAAATT membership, yesterday, Comissiong responded to Hypolite’s concerns about the additions to the list of eligible voters.

“Two clubs (Air Bon Sonics and South Eastern Striders) were inadvertently omitted from the original list, this was corrected on the list supplied on November 20. The two (2) clubs fall within the criteria for eligibility that was settled at the General Meeting on October 09. Is Dr Hypolite advocating that these 2 clubs be disenfranchised over an administrative error?”

Comissiong also addressed the service provider switch.

“By the time approval was sought and obtained from the Minister of Health for the AGM, Service Provider #1 indicated his unavailability having taken another job. In the interest of transparency and good governance, we chose not to formally engage the services of Service Provider #2 until both contesting slates were comfortable with the services on offer.

“Dr Hypolite encountered car problems and was unable to attend the presentation in person; he subsequently joined the meeting by phone. His team was represented by Ms Bevon Lord and Mr Peter Campbell É Mr Campbell and Ms Lord asked pertinent questions and they indicated that they were satisfied with the presentation and the responses given to their concerns.”

Comissiong and Voisin are on the “Youth Meets Experience” slate. Comissiong will run against Hypolite for the NAAATT presidency, while Voisin faces Lord for the post of general secretary.