Sri Lanka: Cricket Board EGM ends in a farce (2 Feb 1998)

Monday 02, February 1998

Cricket Board EGM ends in a farce

by SA'ADI THAWFEEQ

Who is reponsible for the farcical Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) the Sri Lanka Cricket Board summoned at great inconvenience to the membership last Thursday.

Some of the members who attended the meeting came from as far as Matale, Galle, Ratnapura, Matara etc.

The Executive Committee of the Board has to be held fully responsible for summoning meetings of this nature. Is it ultra vires the constitution?

In the 'Daily News' of January 29 it was pointed out the anomaly that existed within the Cricket Board's constitution and the notice summoning the EGM.

The constitution of the Board as at present, clearly states that new members can be elected or existing members upgraded only at an Annual General Meeting (AGM), for which due notice has to be given.

The cricketing public of the country would like to know the urgency on the part of the ExCo to have the membership elected at an EGM, specially summoned for the purpose, whereas, an AGM is due within a period of two months, prior to March 31 of this year.

Is it a part of the vote-catching campaign strategy adopted by certain Board members before the AGM ?

The clubs that were listed for approval of membership were: (Controlling Club) - Badulla CC, (Affiliated Clubs) - Rajarata SC, Green Field SC, Biyagama CC, Seeduwa/Raddoluwa CC, Old Antonians' SC, (Associate Clubs) - Kelaniya CC, Narammala SC, Ambalangoda Zonal CC, Ganemulla CC, Delgoda CC, Suhada CC, Puttalam Springboks SC, Biyagama S and RC, Old Servatians' A and FC, Sun SC, Annihilators SC.

The ExCo were in such a hurried state of mind to hold the EGM, they chose to ignore the warnings given to them in writing by one of their members, the Puttalam DCA which stated in a letter dated January 27 to the Cricket Board secretary, that holding the meeting was "totally and completely contrary to the constitution of the Cricket Board" and the request "to take it up at the forthcoming AGM".

As expected, the agenda called for on January 29 could not be adhered to when the membership present pointed out that it would be unconstitutional if it went ahead.

Cricket Board sources said that they didn't want to go through with the EGM, in accordance with legal opinion.

Whatever the excuse the Cricket Board comes up with, its ExCo should take full responsibility for this action at great cost and inconvenience to its membership.

Did the secretary of the Board who called this meeting get his interpretations mixed up between an EGM and an AGM?

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)