CAS rejects Champagne appeal over FIFA voting booths

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected an appeal from FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne requesting the use of transparent voting booths.

Champagne – who is in the running to replace suspended president Sepp Blatter alongside Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, Gianni Infantino, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein and Tokyo Sexwale – called on CAS to order FIFA to use see-through booths and independent scrutineers to safeguard the integrity of the voting process on Friday.

However, CAS has made the decision to snub Champagne’s idea.

“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)  has rejected an urgent request for provisional measures filed by FIFA Presidential election candidate Jerome Champagne,” an official statement reads.

“On 24 February 2016, Jerome Champagne filed an appeal at the CAS against a decision issued by the FIFA Ad-hoc Electoral Committee dated 17 February 2016, together with an urgent request for provisional measures seeking an order from the CAS that FIFA be directed, inter alia, to use transparent voting booths and independent scrutineers to safeguard the integrity of the voting process and to ensure that the vote is conducted in secret.

“The request for provisional measures was rejected by the President of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division. The full order with grounds will be communicated in a few days.”

Fellow candidate Prince Ali previously had a similar appeal turned down by CAS on Wednesday.