Kalusha Bwalya's leadership of Faz is under challenge
President of the Football Association of Zambia, Kalusha Bwalya has dismissed calls for him to step down.
The calls come after four members of the Faz executive resigned several weeks ago in protest over Bwalya's management style.
Several top clubs in the country have now called for the former international to leave the post.
"People gave us a mandate and they should let us finish our term," Kalusha told reporters in Lusaka.
"Those who want to come into FAZ should wait for 2012," he continued.
Bwalya also said world football governing body, Fifa, has written a letter to him supporting his executive
"The clubs should also learn to respect the authority. We cannot be explaining issues of the constitution over and over. We are not running a kindergarten here," he stated.
Bwalya has also said an emergency meeting called by the clubs to try and resolve the impasse will not hold.
The four members of the executive who resigned, included vice-president Emmanuel Munaile Munaile.
Some of Zambia's top clubs argue that following the resignations, the Faz executive should automatically dissolved itself.
The Faz constitution stipulates that for any decision to be passed, including co-opting new members in case of resignations, a quorum of six members is supposed to be formed.
The resignations of the four left only five members of executive from a nine-member committee.
So far, close to 100 clubs affiliated to Faz, including 10 teams from the country's elite league, have signed an on-going petition challenging the association to convene an emergency meeting.
James Mbazima, who spoke on behalf of clubs that are sponsored by the Zambia army, police and the country's air force says Faz has illegally continued to be in office.
"Due to the resignations of the three committee members and the vice-president, the current executive does not have a quorum to transact any business," he said.
Some of the clubs that have signed the petition include defending Zambian champions Zesco United, Kabwe Warriors, Green Buffaloes, Power Dynamos, Zanaco, Lusaka Dynamos and City of Lusaka.
However, Bwalya has branded the petition illegal, saying his executive is legitimately in office.
Bwalya has instead called on Faz members to pull their energies towards football development.
Meanwhile, a committee which was appointed by the National Sports Council of Zambia (NSCZ) to investigate the constitutionality of the current FAZ executive has completed its work.
The committee has since submitted a 118-paged report NSCZ who are yet to make the contents public.
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