If elected, Prince Ali bin Hussein vows to make FIFA more transparent.
Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan is Sepp Blatter's sole competition in the 2015 FIFA presidential election, scheduled to be held May 28th and 29th.
Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein
Dave Thompson / Getty Images
Despite arrests of seven FIFA officials on corruption charges on Wednesday, soccer's governing organization said the election will proceed as scheduled. Presidential elections occur every four years during the year after the World Cup.
Prince Ali bin Al Hussein was originally one of four candidates running against Blatter, who has held the position since 1998. One candidate, Jérôme Champagne, did not receive enough votes in the preliminary vetting process, and Luís Figo and Michael van Praag withdrew voluntarily.
Figo on Wednesday issued a scathing statement about the election process, which appoints a leader through popular vote from the 209 member clubs. In the first round, a candidate can win by receiving 2/3 of the vote. If that is not reached, the candidate with the majority of votes in the second round is appointed President.
Figo said:
[T]his electoral process is anything but an election.
This (election) process is a plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man - something I refuse to go along with.
That is why, after a personal reflection and sharing views with two other candidates in this process, I believe that what is going to happen on May 29 in Zurich is not a normal electoral act.
He added:
I am seeking the presidency of FIFA because I believe it is time to shift the focus away from administrative controversy and back to sport. [...] The message I heard, over and over, was that it is time for a change. The world's game deserves a world-class governing body — an International Federation that is a service organisation and a model of ethics, transparency and good governance.
The morning of the Switzerland arrests, Prince Ali tweeted about some of FIFA's institutional failings:
We cannot continue with the crisis in FIFA, a crisis that has been ongoing and is not just relevant to the events of today. FIFA needs leadership that governs, guides and protects our national associations. Leadership that accepts responsibility for its actions and does not pass blame. Leadership that restores confidence in the hundreds of millions of football fans around the world.
His half-brother, Abdullah, is the current King of Jordan. Their father, Hussein, had 12 children through four marriages. Hussein's first marriage produced a daughter, and Abdullah was his first-born son in his second marriage. Prince Ali is the second child from Hussein's third marriage. Although Abudllah mother is not Jordanian, he was appointed as successor over Ali in 1999.
Prince Ali served in the Jordanian military before attending Princeton University.
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