The Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) is poised to decide the venue and date of an Extraordinary General Assembly to agree and adopt its new Constitution, with El Salvador thought to be high on the list of possible settings.
The PASO Executive Committee is expected to make up its mind on the details in the next few days; March 10 is cited as a possible window for the meeting, although with the crisis-hit international sports agenda so crowded at present, insidethegames understands it has yet to be confirmed whether all concerned parties would be available on that day.
As reported in August, the voting power of countries which have hosted the Pan American Games on multiple occasions is set to be significantly diluted under the new Constitution.
A proposed version of the new document approved for circulation last year by the PASO Executive Committee contains two options: the first of these amounts to a simple “one country one vote” formula; the second would permit a second vote for past Games hosts, but only for elections to determine where future events will be staged.
The Constitution that is being replaced favours the region’s bigger nations, giving past Pan American Games hosts up to five votes in both host city and Executive Committee elections, including the election of the President.
With Presidential elections due, an Ordinary General Assembly, governed by the new Constitution, is also expected this year.
The list of candidates to succeed President Julio Maglione, the 80-year-old Uruguayan who is completing the late Mario Vázquez Raña’s term but has promised not to seek the role on a permanent basis, could depend on the qualification criteria that the Constitution outlines.
The working document seen by insidethegames last year contained wording insisting on three years’ experience as a top NOC official “immediately preceding” a Presidential candidate’s nomination.
Among those who are thought to be considering entering the race are Carlos Nuzman of Brazil and José Joaquín Puello of the Dominican Republic.
The March meeting is also expected to see adoption by PASO of a Code of Ethics similar to the International Olympic Committee’s Code.