(ATR) The Bahamas Olympic Association will try to hold executive elections on Thursday for the third time in months. Disputes over voting procedure and finances have sabotaged past voting attempts.

Arlington Butler at the 2004 Olympics. (ATR)

(ATR) The Bahamas Olympic Association will try to hold executive elections on Thursday for the third time in months. Disputes over voting procedure and finances have sabotaged past voting attempts.

Sir Arlington Butler, who has been president of the BOA for the past 35 years has come under intense criticism from his executive board, a group of people who were once staunch allies of the president. Adding to their frustration has been the way in which elections have been handled.

Elections were supposed to be held November 30 of last year, but were postponed until March 15 pending a budget audit. After the financial records had been reviewed, a discrepancy in voting procedures was brought to the attention of the delegates. According to the Olympic Charter, the majority of those voting must be from federations. Thursday’s meeting saw a majority of the votes coming from the EB. Adding to the confusion, the BOA constitution prohibits incumbent EB members from voting. As a result the elections were postponed until March 22.

Reports indicate that the meeting, which was closed to the press, quickly devolved into name calling and almost erupted into a fistfight between members. Members of the BOA are asking for a lawyer to attend the meeting this week to ensure proper procedures.

BOA VP Rev. Enoch Backford is challenging Butler for the presidency. Backford says “Butler appears to be dishonest” about the elections and is “most confident” he will be elected—if proper voting mechanisms are used.

Butler has come under fire in recent years by many on the executive board of the BOA for not doing enough to promote sport in the Bahamas. They claim Butler has used the BOA as his own party circuit around the world. Butler dismissed these charges saying "I am continuously orking to improve sports in The Bahamas and the international community." He added, "it would take tremendous imagination to look back at my record as president of the BOA and say that you see nothing in that."

The disorganization has caused Butler to lose the support of almost the entire executive board. Reports indicate that nine of the 11 members of the EB do not support Butler in his re-election. He does however, have almost unanimous support among the federations.

Butler has said this will be his last term as BOA president. Critics say he will use this term to personally groom a young federation president as his heir. Basketball Chief Larry Wilson, softball head Romell “Fish” Knowles, or swimming President Algernon Cargill are believed to be among Butler’s favorites.

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