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| Samaranch hopes to attend board meetings Reuters | |||
MOSCOW -- Outgoing International Olympic
Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch hopes to still
attend executive board meetings after his retirement, senior IOC
members said on Saturday.
They said a proposal would be put to the IOC on Monday
asking that Samaranch be allowed to attend meetings of the
ruling executive board in his role as honorary life president.
IOC members will vote on Monday for a successor to
Samaranch, 81, on the following day, who is stepping down after
21 years at the helm of the world's most powerful organization.
Belgian surgeon Jacques Rogge, one of five candidates for
Samaranch's job, dismissed suggestions on Saturday that the
Spaniard might become a back seat driver of the organisation.
"The president, having a special position in the IOC as an
honorary life president, will be invited to attend the executive
board meetings," he told reporters.
"I had exactly the same situation in my national olympic
committee with my predecessor.
"Generally speaking, if the former boss wants to intervene
and act as a stepmother, the future boss will say 'no and stop.'
If the former boss gives good advice, wise advice, the successor
will say 'thank you very much because you have helped me."'
"There will be a new president and whoever is elected will
make sure he will not be led by others -- no question about
that."
Rogge's main rival, 70-year-old former United Nations
General Assembly delegate Kim Un-yong, expressed surprise when
asked how helpful it would be to have Samaranch on the executive
board.
"Is he sitting on the executive board? I didn't know," he
said. "I am not president yet so don't ask me such questions.
Did he say he will sit?"
In addition to Kim and Rogge, Canadian lawyer Dick Pound,
former U.S. rower Anita DeFrantz and Hungarian diplomat Pal
Schmitt have put their names forward for the ballot that is
carried out in rounds until one candidate wins a majority of the
votes cast.
Rogge refused on Saturday to get carried away with
speculation that he will win the vote.
"I don't rely on feelings, gossips, rumours," Rogge said.
"It is a secret vote.
"Yes, I hear good things and it is better than hearing bad
things but I don't rely on that."
Asked how the voting would go, Kim said: "It is very hard to
tell ... I cannot read their minds. Election is like sports
competition. You have to wait until you open the ballot box."
Asked about his relationship with Rogge, he said: "We are
all good friends. I am a nice guy unless they stab me in the
back." Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories | |
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