British FIA chief emerges victorious from unprecedented organization assembly in Paris with 103 members voting in his favor to nearly half that number voting against allowing him to keep high-profile position despite Nazi-themed sado-masochistic orgy with prostitutes
Motor racing's world governing body gave Max Mosley a strong vote of confidence to remain as president on Tuesday despite his involvement in a lurid sex scandal.
Mosley Scandal
Jewish groups condemn FIA boss over 'Nazi' sex claims / AFP
UK Holocaust Centre says head of motor racing's Formula One, who was pictured in tabloid newspaper allegedly participating in orgy with prostitutes dressed as Nazi guards, should 'resign from the sport'
In a secret ballot at an extraordinary meeting of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) general assembly in Paris, the 68-year-old Briton gained 103 votes to 55 against.
The FIA said there were seven abstentions and four invalid votes.
Mosley had ignored calls to quit since March when the tabloid News of the World newspaper published details and photographs of his involvement in what was described as a Nazi-style sado-masochistic orgy with prostitutes.
An FIA spokesman said Mosley, who has been in office since 1993 and has said that he intends to stand down at the end of his current term in October 2009, would be making no comment on the outcome.
The FIA president, whose father Oswald was the founder of the pre-World War Two British Union of Fascists, has denied any Nazi connotations to the scandal and is taking legal action against the News of the World for invasion of privacy.
His win, while welcomed by some national motorsport associations, triggered a hostile response from FIA member organizations representing millions of the world's ordinary motorists.
It was also expected to receive a frosty reception in Formula One, with some major manufacturers and former champions joining commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone in calling for Mosley to quit.
'Unfortunate day for FIA'
Germany's ADAC, Europe's biggest Automobile Association, immediately announced that they had frozen their participation in FIA working groups.
"ADAC views with regret and incredulity, the FIA general assembly's decision in Paris confirming Max Mosley in office as FIA president," ADAC said in a statement.
"ADAC will stay with its decision as long as Max Mosley holds the top FIA office as president.
Robert Darbelnet, president of the American Automobile Association (AAA) with more than 50 million members in the United States, told reporters that the AAA would review its position.
"It's a very unfortunate outcome, a very unfortunate day for the FIA," he said, adding that he had not been convinced by Mosley 's arguments.
"Our main interest is the motorist in general and this is not the type of behavior that in any organization that I am familiar with would be condoned," he said of the sex scandal.
"I can't think of an organization that would have arrived at the result that was arrived at here today."
RSS
