According to the PSSI chairman, Djohar Arifin Hussein the congress remains valid because it is in line with the regulation and the number of voters although the congress took place briefly at a hotel lobby.
Palangka Raya, C Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - The All-Indonesia Soccer Association or PSSI held its congress in a hotel lobby here on Monday after the national soccer association failed to obtain recommendation from the central government.

Although PSSI was not allowed to use the hotel lobby and neither get license from the local police to hold the congress, the national soccer association finally conducted the meeting in the hotel lobby which was presided over by the PSSI chairman, Djohar Arifin Hussein.

A total of 97 voters and hundreds of the PSSI organizing committee members participated in the extraordinary meeting, which was also attended by the PSSI`s Secretary General, Halim Mahfudz.

The congress ran briefly merely asking for an agreement from the voters regarding the results of the executive committee meeting on December 9.

The decision of the PSSI ordinary meeting nullified a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the breakaway Indonesian Soccer Rescue Committee (KPSI) and dissolve the PSSI Joint Committee.

The MoU stated that four expelled members of the PSSI executive committee will be reinstated, the Indonesian Super League will come under PSSI`s jurisdiction, KPSI will be dissolved after the next PSSI Congress and the PSSI Joint Committee will be established.

The MoU was clinched by both the PSSI and KPSI in their meeting at AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 7 this year.

The congress was also attended by representatives of FIFA and AFC respectively Marco Leal and Jeysing Muthiah.

According to the PSSI chairman, Djohar Arifin Hussein the congress remains valid because it is in line with the regulation and the number of voters although the congress took place briefly at a hotel lobby.

"There is no problem with the location of the congress. Even if it is held on the road, it remains valid since the meeting is in line with the rules. We don`t blame anyone provided that the Indonesian soccer does not get sanction from FIFA," Djohar noted.

FIFA set December 10, 2012 as the deadline for Indonesia to settle its disputes or face FIFA`s indefinite sanctions.

Last Monday, Jerome Valcke, Secretary General of Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), the body controlling football globally, sent a letter dated November 26 to the former sports minister urging the government to take stern action because the two stakeholders of the country`s soccer associations could make no headway towards resolving their disputes.

Before his resignation from the ministerial post, the Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng said the government would take stern action if the All-Indonesia Soccer Association (PSSI) and the KPSI failed to end their disputes.

Andi Mallarangeng resigned from his ministerial post here on Friday (Dec 7) after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) banned him from traveling overseas a day before.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012