By ELIAS CHIPEPO –

BONIFACE Mwamelo has urged the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) executive committee to request FIFA for more time to implement the directive as the September 30 deadline is too tight.
Mwamelo, who served as FAZ vice-president and treasurer in the past regime, said it would be wise for the Andrew Kamanga executive committee to solicit for more time because amending the constitution could not be done overnight.
FIFA member associations manager Primo Carvaro said FAZ should amend its constitution by September 30 or risk automatic suspension.
“If this goes wrong, then it will be the executive committee that will have an egg on the face. Andrew Kamanga should engage FIFA and ask for more time because the deadline is too tight. But as they ask for more time, they should equally start the process and provide FIFA with a roadmap. This is an important decision but I am worried about the time available,” Mwamelo said.
There will be need for consultations to be made and come up with mechanisms that will satisfy these lower clubs who will stop attending the annual general meetings. And all these changes must be ratified
only during an AGM and not at any emergency AGM as per the constitution.
“It will be important to clearly spell out what will remain of these lower clubs especially that they don’t get sponsorship from FAZ. Will a sponsor understand that his club won’t be allowed to attend an AGM?” he said.
Carvaro said the main amendment of the constitution was to reduce the Electoral College from the current 350 voting delegates to about 70 or 80.
It will be important for FAZ to explain all these issues to FIFA  and will need to be careful in the way the process will be done especially reducing the Electoral College because it has ramifications on Zambian football,” he said.
Supporting the move to reduce the Electoral College, Mwamelo said FAZ will need to engage clubs especially that some sponsors of the lower clubs may feel left out and in the process stop rendering support.
This is not a matter that is new but it will be important to engage the clubs and let the issue be done gradually with clubs engaged more because there will be the issue of voting,” he said.
Mwamelo said FAZ will need to prepare for this process thoroughly especially that clubs will need to vote and there was need to be prepared should some clubs vote against.
He said reducing the Electoral College will bring about effective communication and quality debate adding in the past the AGM have been attended by a large crowd and many at times not all ideas were heard.