GOC elections not linked to Olympic Games - IOC

Contrary to circulated media reports which seek to undermine the integrity of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) General Assembly, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expressly indicated that the Ghana Olympic Committee elections are not linked to the Olympic Games just as other National Olympic Committees and that Ghana can have its elections unabated.

Some persons within the Ghana Olympic Committee have taken to the media misreporting the communique by the IOC on the Olympic cycle and respective National Association elections.

But the IOC in a letter has said the election cycle of the various NOC may be affected since most NOCs usually hold their regular elections during the year following the Games of the Olympiad.

The IOC however strictly directs that in pursuant to the Olympic Charter, the election cycle of the NOCs is not expressly linked to the holding of the Olympic Games.

The only requirement is that the term of office of the elected officers of an NOC must not exceed four years, as stated under paragraph 1.5 of the Bye-law to Rules 27 and 28 of the Olympic Charter, which reads: “The officers and members of the executive body of a NOC shall be elected in accordance with the NOC’s statutes, for a term of office not exceeding four years; they may be eligible for re-election.”

Per the release, the IOC insist that the statutes of the various NOC's on elections must be implemented and respected.

The IOC further said under these extraordinary circumstances where the cycle of this specific edition of the Olympic Games and the four-year term of office no longer coincide, we understand that most of the impacted NOCs will have to decide – subject to what is explicitly specified in their respective statutes, as approved by the IOC – whether the NOC’s follow the four-year term of office and hold their elections by the end of the four-year term of office, i.e. prior to the Tokyo Games in 2021.

The President of the GOC during the December General Assembly had proposed for an extension of elective Congress from match to until a date to be determined after the Olympic Games in Tokyo but the General Assembly shot it down.

The GOC must thus commence the process leading to elections in March 2021.