Fide Election Candidates Line-up

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Slate

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov & Sam Sloan

Ignatius Leong on far left

Morton Sand

LIN Feng on far right

Jean-Claude LOUBATIERE

Uvencio BLANCO

In November, 2002 an election will be held for President of the World Chess Federation ("FIDE"). Here are photos of the candidates. Although Leong wrote that he had withdrawn as a candidate, he now claims to be back in the race. There are also rumors and reports of alternate slates which will try to have the rules of the FIDE General Assembly amended so that they can enter the race.

Here is the line-up. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is seeking re-election as FIDE President. His candidate for Deputy President is George Makropoulos. Although Makropoulos has been involved in FIDE since at least 1980, he is unpopular and would never be elected on his own. Next is Ummer Koya, who claims credit for the recent great increase in popularity of chess in India, but who had been accused of failure to pay promised appearance fees. Koya denies the charges.

Emmanuel Omuku is by far the most well-liked and popular personality on the Kirsan slate. A lawyer from Nigeria, Omuku manages to stay on the good side of everybody, while doing the dirty job of carrying out Kirsan's orders.

After that is Steve Doyle. Doyle is not officially on the slate but has been promised appointment as an honorary vice-president if Kirsan is elected.

Last we have a picture of Casto Abundo who was photographed while taking a picture of Sam Sloan who was taking a picture of Casto Abundo who was taking a picture of Sam Sloan. Abundo is an office administrator and the ratings administrator of FIDE. Regardless of who is elected, Abundo will probably have a job because he has been the man in charge of the daily affairs of FIDE since 1986 and is probably irreplaceable.

On the right side, we have Ignatius Leong who disgraced himself by quickly withdrawing as a candidate after assembling a very distinguished slate. Next is Morton Sand, a distinguished lawyer from Norway. After that is Lin Feng, President of the China Chess Association in China. Next is Jean-Clause Loubatiere, President of the French Chess Federation. Last is Uvencio Blanco, President of the Chess Federation of Venezuela.

Altogether, the Kirsan slate consists of discredited and disreputable personalities who could never be elected on their own to anything in FIDE. The Leong slate consisted of some of the most distinguished and reputable personalities in chess, with the exception of course of Leong himself.

Sam Sloan

The following statement appears on http://www.fideonline.com/news.asp?id=80

3. Electoral Matters

3.1 Roll-Call

3.2 Appointment of three scrutineers

3.3 The list of candidates for elections into various FIDE offices are as follows :

3.3.1 Presidential tickets

President : Mr. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov (Russia)
Deputy President : Mr. Georgios Makropoulos (Greece)
Vice President : Mr. P.T. Ummer Koya (India)
General Secretary : Mr. Noureddine Tabbane (Tunisia)
Treasurer : Mr. David Jarrett (England)

* President: Mr. Ignatius Leong (Singapore)
* Deputy President: Mr. Morten Sand (Norway)
* Vice President : Mr. Lin Feng (China)
* General Secretary : Mr. Jean-Claude Loubatiere (FRA)
* Treasurer : Mr. Uvencio Blanco (Venezuela)

* Under and by virtue of the agreement (Annex 6) made between representatives of the two Presidential tickets dated 21 September 2002, Mr. Ignatius Leong has withdrawn his Presidential ticket.

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