John Azar says he is reconsidering his bid for the presidency of Tennis Jamaica, citing what he described as a lack of transparency among the organisation’s leadership who he also accused of unfair practices.

Azar, who had received 40 of the 77 eligible votes for president at the aborted November 19, 2015 annual general meeting, said he arrived at his latest decision last Friday after he went to Tennis Jamaica’s office to pay membership dues for 2015/2016 on behalf of his father, Philip Azar Sr in accordance with the organisation’s February 15, 2016 notice.

“I was shocked to be told that he was ‘not on the system’ and had ‘never been a member’ in light of the fact that he served that organisation (the Jamaica Lawn Tennis Association, now TJ) for many years as honorary treasurer and has numerous receipts confirming his membership,” Azar stated in a news release on the weekend.

He said that the Articles of Tennis Jamaica make clear that, for one to be treasurer they must first have been a member. The Articles further state that any member of the Jamaica Lawn Tennis Association (JLTA) automatically became a member of Tennis Jamaica.

“I reported this both verbally and in writing to the TJ Secretary Leroy Brown, and am yet to receive a response or explanation. Compounding this, there are numerous other members who, in seeking to pay back dues owing, have been told that they ‘were never members’,” Azar said.

He noted that Tennis Jamaica is pressing ahead with a planned meeting this week where votes on critical resolutions are scheduled to take place.

“This latest development has further convinced me that the path being pursued by Tennis Jamaica is neither fair nor transparent. As a result, I am reconsidering my candidacy for president, as I am hesitant to partake in such an unfair process which appears to be skewed so heavily towards one party over another,” Azar said.

His weekend statement came a few days after he broke his silence on the controversy dogging Tennis Jamaica since the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was marred by overvoting and claims of unfair electoral practices.

Azar said he had refused any public comment on the matter because he did not wish to bring the game he loves and the organisation that he intended to lead, into further disrepute.

“Over the past months, I have therefore chosen to express these serious concerns in private correspondence to the board as against engaging in public dialogue, hoping that better sense would prevail,” Azar said.

He said that Tennis Jamaica, at a press conference held on December 10, 2015 referred to the overvoting at the AGM as being “nothing deliberate” and attributed it to “an administrative error”.

“My view of what transpired is totally different,” Azar said. “Overvoting, or the ‘stuffing of a ballot box’ can only be a very deliberate act clearly designed to hijack the democratic process.”

He said that Tennis Jamaica has accepted that he received 40 votes on the night in question while the incumbent president, John Bailey, received 43 votes in the presidential election.

“They also confirm that 77 voters were eligible on the night — either in person or via proxy. The fact is that all 40 votes cast for me have been confirmed and accounted for as sworn affidavits have been signed to that effect. Forty out of 77 is indeed a clear majority,” Azar argued.

He said that based on this overwhelming evidence, concerned parties have initiated court proceedings seeking that a declaration be made that he was duly elected as Tennis Jamaica president on November 19.

“Since I received 40 legitimate votes, Bailey could only have received a maximum of 37 legitimate votes as, by his own admission, 77 persons were eligible to vote on the night,” Azar said.

He said that in a full-page advert published on Sunday, February 21 under the signatures of Bailey and Aswad Morgan, Tennis Jamaica stated that it did not have an immediate revote on the night of November 19 because Azar’s supporters “vociferously opposed” it.

“Contrary to this statement, the decision to not have an immediate revote was taken unilaterally and, in my view, unconstitutionally by Tennis Jamaica, despite the insistence of many members that they do so,” he said.

Added Azar: “In fact, from as far back as my November 30, 2015 letter to the board — not yet acknowledged or responded to — I have been asking why an immediate revote on the night was not held. It is noteworthy that three months after the aborted AGM, it is the first time that Tennis Jamaica has made such a claim.”

He said the organisation had suggested that it was working with him on a joint press release, and while it was true that he had suggested this approach many weeks ago, the first draft of the release sent to him was “nothing short of an insult to both myself and to all who witnessed what had actually transpired on the night”. Therefore, he rejected the release as it was not indicative of what transpired.

“I wish to make clear that we have therefore never shared a joint position on what transpired and no joint press release has ever been issued,” Azar said.

In his statement at the weekend, Azar said that regardless of his ultimate decision, he will continue to support the sport that he loves and which has taught him a lot about integrity, honesty and fair play.