FIA President JEAN TODT will return unopposed after "his only rival pulled the plug on his election chances," according to Kevin Eason of the LONDON TIMES. DAVID WARD, the former right-hand man to MAX MOSLEY, "failed to penetrate the FIA’s complex system of nominations to garner enough support to stand." It is "a humiliating defeat for a man who has such high standing inside the FIA and was hoping to challenge some of the organisation’s problems of governance and transparency." It is "a huge success for Todt, though, who can now be returned to office without a fraught election process" (LONDON TIMES, 11/14). REUTERS' Alan Baldwin reported Friday "is the deadline for entering a candidate list, with Ward failing to secure the required backing of 26 FIA member clubs and seven Vice-Presidents for Sport." The 56-year-old Briton "was director general of the FIA's independent foundation for 12 years until he announced in August that he was standing against Frenchman Todt, 67." In his letter, Ward wrote, "The use of support agreements in advance of the election makes it very hard for any candidate to obtain the required Vice Presidents for their list." Ward "hoped that proposed statute changes would make it easier in future for candidates to mount a presidential challenge." Ward: "According to the Senate President NICK CRAW: 'The idea of electing Sport VPs democratically is not practical.' I strongly disagree with this. It is perfectly practical to be democratic. The reason why the FIA leadership finds democracy impractical is that they fear it would be less easy for them to control regions that elect their own leaders" (REUTERS, 11/14).
