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FIFA should re-run Qatar 2022 World Cup bid: CoE Parliamentary Assembly

Xinhua, April 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has called the procedure for Qatar's World Cup 2022 bid "fundamentally undermined by illegality" and should be re-run in a resolution adopted on Thursday.

Adopted by the PACE general assembly with 30 votes in favour, 9 against and 9 abstentions, the resolution calls on FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) to re-do the World Cup 2022 bid with a new procedure that "genuinely guarantees equality between the bidding countries and a final decision strictly founded on the merit of their projects."

This call comes following evidence revealed that "irregular payments" to officials in African football associations or the associations themselves in exchange for votes for Qatar as the 2022 World Cup host.

Britain's Michael Connarty, the rapporteur who drafted the resolution for the PACE, was given evidence by reporters from the UK's Sunday Times newspaper, who brought the corruption allegations to light.

During a press conference before Thursday's general assembly debate, Connarty showed Xinhua redacted versions of the documents he had received, which included phrases such as "Thank the Emir for his generosity" and bank transfers for amounts between 50,000 and 100,000 U.S. dollars.

"This is an evidence-based report, not just a speculative report," Connarty said as he introduced the draft resolution to the PACE general assembly.

Despite being unanimously adopted by the PACE committee for culture, science, education and media, the resolution was not accepted without opposition in the general assembly.

"This report is basically an accusation against FIFA," said Merixtell Mateu Pi (Andorra), on behalf of the Alliance of Democrats and Liberals for Europe political group.

"I'm not sure PACE is the best forum for accusing FIFA," she continued, before moving to have the resolution returned to committee. Her movement, however, was rejected by the assembly, with 25 votes against, 16 in favour and 7 abstentions.

Other members of PACE were quick to underline the global importance of FIFA.

"FIFA affects billions of fans around the world," declared Britain's Robert Walter who is a member of the European Conservatives political group, asking his fellow members to stand up for the fans.

"The issue -- let's be absolutely clear -- is corruption," he said. Enditem