FIA votes for controversial statute changes
Motor racing's ruling body the FIA on Thursday approved controversial changes to its statutes that critics have claimed reduce the transparency and accountability of the organisation.
The changes include advancing the deadlines for the declaration of candidates to stand against president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in an election later this year.
The International Motoring Federation said the changes were voted for by a "resounding majority" at a general assembly held in Macau.
There are no confirmed rivals to Ben Sulayem yet declared.
Other proposed changes relate to the process of nominating members of the FIA Senate, the 16-member body that under the president's guidance controls the FIA. The president gained greater control over the process.
In another change, to the organisation's code of ethics, candidates for the presidency must not show anything in their record that "calls into question their professional integrity".
Ben Sulayem, who intends to stand for a second four-year term in December's election, led the campaign for the changes.
An FIA spokesman said 83.35 percent of the assembly voted in support of the changes.
"The FIA has taken steps since 2021 to strengthen its corporate governance policies," he said. "These policies guide the FIA's operations and ensure its rules, practices, and processes are robust and transparent.
"The proposed amendments to the FIA statutes are designed to further strengthen processes around governance and confidentiality."
Austria's Automobile Association (OAMTC) had earlier urged FIA members to vote against the proposed changes and warned that the FIA risked lasting damage to its reputation in a "dark period of democratic backsliding".
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