Outgoing Executive Committee members of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) will no longer be able to vote in the organisation's elections, it has been announced following its 67th Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The removal of automatic voting rights was unanimously backed by national sport organisations and by TTOC Executive Committee members present during the AGM held at Olympic House in Port-of-Spain.
The move means that to be eligible to vote in future, outgoing elected Executive committee members must now be a duly accredited delegate representing a financial and voting member affiliate.
TTOC President Brian Lewis helped to push through the new ruling claiming it will create a more free and fair process for electing officials to the organisation.
Lewis, elected TTOC President in May last year, replacing Larry Romany who had served the maximum two terms, revealed the move to take away voting rights had been made following consultation with Jerome Poivey, head of institutional relations and governance at the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
"The previous position allowed outgoing officers to have an advantage that could be deemed unfair and undemocratic," said Lewis, who was TTOC secretary general for 17 years before being elected President.
"It was discussed with the IOC legal department [and] Jerome Poivey since last year.
"This is my first AGM as President and I wanted to ensure the change was made.
"The TTOC in respect of sport governance and leadership must be above reproach and must set the standard and example for good governance, democracy, equity, transparency and accountability.
"The national sport organisations and the TTOC Executive supported the change and they deserve credit for that.
"My hope is that other national sport organisations will follow."
Contact the writer of this story at gary.anderson@insidethegames.biz