|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
Chessville
Advertise to Single insert:
|
Eulogy on the demise of FIDE - Commerce by the Action Committee for a Democratic FIDE, © September 22, 2004 Having carefully listened to critics and admirers of our FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov over the past 2½ years, we respectfully submit our assessment of the current situation. Some say that we should repay Kirsan Ilyumzhinov US$10 million, if the USCF goes ahead with its Motion of No Confidence in Calvia. Others have entirely different ideas. Here a summary of what was discussed. The final editor of this message lived for a long time in Hong Kong. Therefore, almost his entire life he has been the loyal subject of Queens Juliana and Beatrix of the Netherlands, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. These were/ are consitutional monarchs. Additionally, he loyally served in a semi-government capacity in the S.A.R. of Hong Kong (China) under the guidance of President Jiang Zhemin. Following the party line is therefore no problem, but what to do if those who lead us stray off the path. In the words of GM Raymond Keene: "Britannia Rules The Waves, Campomanes Waives the Rules." The answer was clear in 1995. Then came Kirsan. The laws of Hong Kong say that a director (owner) of both a private or a public company which suffers bankruptcy, thus is closed down through forced liquidation (not voluntary liquidation), cannot serve in any meaningful managerial capacity for seven years. We just wonder if there are similar laws in Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Greece that would prevent His Excellency Kirsan Ilyumzhinov serving as the President of FIDE, in view of the forced liquidation of FIDE Commerce. After all, this was the company that had an exclusive contract with FIDE until 2015. We respectfully ask Mr Morten Sand to give us a short legal explanation of the circumstances. Our information is that the top of FIDE was aware of the fact that His Excellency refused to pay any more funds into FIDE since July 2003. Court papers that have come into the possession of a number of critics of His Excellency seem to indicate that this information was available at the time of the Bled Olympics, i.e.: Case Type: COMPULSORY LIQUIDATION Order to Wind Up: 11/12/2002 Petition Date: 22/10/2002 In view of the fact that His Excellency Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was re-elected unopposed in November 2002, the honourable delegates to the General Assembly in Calvia (Mallorca) have a right to know. Four tough questions, based on (strictly minority) opinions of members of our panel: (1) Two books on His Excellency "Schaakmat in Kalmukkië" (Dutch for Checkmate in Kalmykia) by Martin van der Heuvel, and "Curse of Kirsan" (Adventures in the Chess Underworld) by Sarah Hurst allege that large sums from the Treasury of this republic were used to support chess and FIDE. Would it be worthwhile now His Excellency (apparently) is a bit short of cash to start a fund to repay the poor people of Kalmykia ? We mean by that, of course not overnight, but at least regular payments with interest to reimburse them for their support to FIDE in the past, especially in 1998 when the extremely successful Chess Olympics were organised in Elista ? (2) Modern management techniques suggest that when a company
is in trouble, the answer for new managers and company doctors is to let the
company become bigger or to merge. Is there any truth that this policy was
adopted by the chess managers who advise His Excellency. We respectfully
suggest (3) We are very familiar with rags-to-riches and again riches-to-rags stories from the Far East. The saying in Hong Kong is: "Be careful whom you kick on the way up, you'll meet him on the way down." In the late 1980s, early 1990s (under Governors Sir David Wilson, and the Honourable Chris Patton) two of the 10 riches people in Hong Kong were in jail, and another four in court or under investigation for financial crimes and misdemeanors. The 19th century saying in the Netherlands is "Wie niet steelt of erft, moet werken tot hij sterft." In translation: If you do not steal or inherit, you must work until you are buried." Is there any truth in it that His Excellency is in a bit of financial bother, and that some of the funds allocated to FIDE in the past are not exactly 'kosher' ? We do not want to be painted with the wrong brush, you know. (4) The extraordinary occurrence is now that the Honorary Life President of FIDE (who still gets delegated a lot of duties by His Excellency) has been convicted in court and was sentenced to two years in jail in Manila (which is being appealed); while a company in which His Excellency had a 70% interest and was a director of has been compulsorily liquidated in the U.K.. Has it not occurred to the Top of FIDE that this might bring the game of chess in disrepute ? E.g. in the Netherlands (not exactly a FIDE country these days), during the last few years we lost the sponsorship to the Interpolis tournament, the Donner Memorial, the largest part of the Lost Boys and the GM tournament in Groningen (in existence for 40 years !). The foundation that managed the latter almost went under in 2002, although a sponsor was available. Managers of these events point the finger to the fact that there are several World Champions and that FIDE is not managed the way sponsors like. Anyway: To honour and celebrate His Excellency's Accomplishments and Life in FIDE, we have adapted a few lines from our favourite bard. He will not object, as copyright ran out around 1696.
kaarlo schepel - spokesman Action Committee for a Democratic
FIDE See also:
The New
Clothes of the Emperor: FIDE-REFORM - Open letter to the President of
FIDE
|
The
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
