ChangeFifa calls for governments to back its agenda for reform

Fifa's headquarters
The pressure group ChangeFifa believes the organisation is too insulated and needs to be more transparent. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images



An influential Conservative MP on the House of Commons select committee for culture, media and sport has intervened in Fifa's corruption allegation meltdown in Zurich by calling for Sepp Blatter's re‑election as president to be suspended, and a manifesto for change to be introduced at the organisation. Working with the campaign group ChangeFifa, Damian Collins has set out a five-part "reform agenda", inviting politicians from around the world to sign up to it.
"We are asking members of parliaments and national assemblies to sign up to this agenda to demonstrate the growing concern about the leadership of Fifa," Collins says on his blog. "When a global institution of great importance loses its way, it is the duty of those entrusted with its care to chart a course of correction. When the leaders of such an organisation lack the credibility that is required to do so, a valuable function of parliaments and governments is to offer sound and independent intervention and support."
Despite the deluge of corruption claims disfiguring Fifa's credibility, the organisation here in Zurich, at its manicured $100m headquarters, gives the impression it still feels insulated from the outrage and calls for reform. The Swiss government is investigating whether the sports governing bodies clustered in the country should still enjoy their freedoms from tax laws and anti-corruption treaties, but there is no organised political momentum strong enough to force change on Fifa from the outside.
Collins is hoping that with his and ChangeFifa's reform agenda, he can kickstart that political groundswell.
Their plan for reform is based on five principles:
1) An independent commission to lead an inquiry into Fifa and then ensure all Fifa proceedings become transparent and open to the public.
2) All 208 Fifa member football associations should vote on "major decisions affecting the international game", particularly the award of the World Cup to host countries, a decision currently made by the 24-man executive committee.
3) Every decision, vote and action taken on international football to be open to the public.
4) For membership of the Fifa executive committee to be limited to fixed terms, and the Fifa president not to serve more than two terms of office.
5) Fifa's finances to be published in detail, including all sources of funding and the salary packages of all its staff.
For now, as all 208 member associations are gathering in sun-soaked Zurich for Wednesday's Fifa congress, there is not enough unified political pressure to delay the election; Blatter still looks set to be anointed president unopposed. Only the English FA has said so far that it will abstain.