This Friday, from 11 am, a telematic meeting was held between Barça officials – the chairman of the management board Carles Tusquets and the chief executive Oscar Grau–, the trustee of the club member, the general secretary of Sport and Procicat in which the decision has been made to postpone the elections and look for a new date. The club has confirmed this in a statement that the elections will not be held on January 24, as was initially planned, which opens an unprecedented scenario in the history of the entity, as, statutes in hand, the manager should not be able to extend her term. Regarding the new date for the elections, sources consulted by ARA do not see it feasible to vote before March.
Once the number of candidates running in the elections was resolved on Thursday, it remained to be seen whether the date of the elections would be maintained despite the situation of the pandemic in Catalonia and the prolongation of measures to prevent the spread. of covid-19 . The Generalitat has already said that it is closing the door to facilitate safe routes so that members can travel to vote in other cities and, with the municipal confinement extended until January 25, many members could not go to the polls. “More than half of the electoral census could not vote due to the limitations of movements,” they justify from the manager. The commission manager, however, did not ask at today’s meeting, as reported by the agency EFE, that members have permission to leave their municipality to vote. According to club sources, they have not done so because they already knew the government’s position.
Tusquets will rule until a vote can be taken
“It’s not an issue that harms one or the other, who is harmed the most is Barça. The club can no longer be with this misgovernment, it needs a president,” Joan Laporta told Catalunya Ràdio after the postponement of the elections . “I have no interest in forming a concentration government or making joint decisions. The partners would not understand it, we want elections,” he added. Also on the Catalan station, Víctor Font had spoken before the postponement was announced: “I propose to work together and put the interests of the club first”. Toni Freixa, for his part, said that he was “available to the management committee and the club so that Barça would not be harmed”. “The exceptional situation requires intelligent and open-minded solutions,” added the Barça spokesman during Sandro Rosell’s term.
The position of Health
The Minister of Health, Alba Vergés , had made it clear yesterday that the final decision on a possible postponement of the elections would be on Barça. And the club’s manager has defended that, with this scenario, she cannot guarantee an election with a minimum of security and participation, a fact that has already provoked criticism from some of the candidates, especially a Joan Laporta who had asked to vote on the 24th. claiming that not holding elections would be “a fraud.” “Barcelona must mobilize in favor of the elections without any interference with the intention of suspending them,” Laporta had also stated. Víctor Font, for his part, had criticized the management of the manager, considering that he had plenty of time to prepare alternatives, but he accepted the change of date because he prioritized “the maximum of participation in such an important election for the history of the club. “Toni Freixa, for his part, had already said that he would accept the final decision of this meeting.
The possibility of voting by mail
In view of the new date, the club has requested legal coverage so that voting can also be done by ordinary mail. Doing so, however, should mean modifying the Catalan Sports Law. In a statement, the Generalitat explained that it had asked them for “the possibility of modifying the current sports legislation in order to enable voting by post on the new date of the elections”, a request that the government has promised to study . March Spirit , from Font’s candidacy, has argued that the management board should have asked for legal protection to vote by mail weeks ago, and not now, to ensure voting on the 24th.
In view of the new date, the club has requested legal coverage so that voting can also be done by ordinary mail. Doing so, however, should mean modifying the Catalan Sports Law. In a statement, the Generalitat explained that it had asked them for “the possibility of modifying the current sports legislation in order to enable voting by post on the new date of the elections”, a request that the government has promised to study . March Spirit , from Font’s candidacy, has argued that the management board should have asked for legal protection to vote by mail weeks ago, and not now, to ensure voting on the 24th.
On behalf of the Government, this morning’s meeting was chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of the Presidency, Meritxell Masó; the Secretary General of the Department of Health, Marc Ramentol ; the Secretary General of the Department of the Interior, Beth Century ; the Secretary General of Sport and Physical Activity, Gerard Figueras . On behalf of Barça, the delegation was led by the President of the Management Committee, Carles Tusquets; the Síndic of Partner Joan Manuel Trayter , and the CEO of the club Òscar Grau.
This afternoon the manager will meet with the three candidates – Joan Laporta, Víctor Font and Toni Freixa – to discuss the matter. In addition to the postponement and the new election date, will be on the table issues such as the economic situation of the club and possible signings in the winter market, such as Manchester City center Eric Garcia .
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