The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) doesn’t intend to involve itself in the conduct of elections of the Equestrian Association of the Philippines (EAP) other than being an observer.

FEI second vice-president Christopher Hodson, handpicked by FEI president Princess Haya Bint Al-Hussein to observe the EAP elections, told EAP and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Jose Cojuangco Jr. in a letter dated August 17 that “the election must be an internal matter for the national association of the Philippines."

Cojuangco had earlier proposed that the FEI representative be given the authority to come up with a roster of voters for the EAP elections so his group and the faction identified with party-list congresswoman

Carissa Coscolluela won’t have any reason to contest the outcome of the elections.

But Hodson insists that it can’t be done.

“It would not be appropriate for any FEI representative to endeavour to conduct the election from outside; such a course must necessarily incur the possibility of not conforming to the wishes of the members.”

Hodson, a New Zealand native, continued: “Only the association can decide its membership and officialdom; I see no role for the FEI in imposing such a decision on a national association.

The rules of the EAP do not provide for anyone else to determine its membership.”

Stressing that “there is little point in the FEI observing an election which may not produce an outcome agreed and accepted as fair and honest by all parties,” Hodson suggests that the EAP must come up with “an accepted list of members, entitled to receive notice of the date, time and place of the election and entitled to attend and vote.”

Hodson said the electoral process “must be in accordance with your national law and customs and again this is not a matter for outsiders (like the FEI).”

In a related development, the FEI doesn’t wish to dictate who will represent the Philippines when it holds its General Assembly in Copenhagen, Denmark, in November.

“I am sure that the wisdom and good sense of the officials and membership of the EAP will enable such a governing body to send its agreed representative to the General Assembly. Please be assured of a very warm welcome for the representative of the Philippines at that Assembly,” concluded Hodson.

A copy of said letter was also furnished to Coscolluela, International Olympic Committee representative to the Philippines Frank Elizalde and POC secretary general Steve Hontiveros.

Cojuangco was presiding over the POC’s executive committee on Wednesday and could not be reached for comment.