Sepp Blatter reelected as FIFA presidentMay 30, 2015 - 10:49 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Sepp Blatter has been reelected as FIFA president, holding on to the position he has held since 1998, after Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan withdrew prior to a run-off vote, Business Insider reports. Blatter's win comes two days after nine current and former high-ranking FIFA officials were arrested on corruption charges in a dramatic early morning raid in Zurich. Blatter was not charged. Before the election, he said he could not be held responsible for the misdeeds of others within the organization he has controlled for the better part of two decades. Blatter beat Prince Ali with 133 of the 209 votes in the first round of voting, falling short of the needed two-thirds majority and forcing a second vote that would have needed just a simple majority. Each FIFA member state got a vote in the election. While the ballots were secret, it's widely assumed that most if not all of the 101 member states in Africa and Asia voted for Blatter. The U.S. voted for Prince Ali, according to U.S. soccer head Sunil Gulati. It's believed that many European countries did as well. While much of the western world remains baffled that Blatter is still in power, he's still popular among soccer officials in smaller nations because of the way FIFA funding for football development has been evenly distributed regardless of a country's size or infrastructure during his reign. Top stories Armenian gymnast, Olympic bronze medalist Artur Davtyan has reached the finals of the World Cup. Gor Manvelyan has denied reports alleging that he has expressed a desire to one day play for the French national team. Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is not considering FC Spartak Moscow as his next haven, according to fresh reports. 10 Armenian lifters will compete in the 2021 World Championships scheduled to be held from 7 to 17 December in Tashkent. Partner news | Viva-MTS: Tech solutions to modernize infrastructure of border village The border village has been the focus of Viva-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Values since 2015. Ucom's fixed network launched in Artashat To mark this occasion, the company has introduced a special offer exclusively for Artashat residents. “By Your Side”: IDBank's new support program for displaced Artsakh citizens IDBank is launching a long-term social support program for forcibly displaced Artsakh residents. The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. |