The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) elected former Australian Finance Minister John Fahey as its new chairman today.
"I declare Mr Fahey elected but with four abstentions," outgoing head Dick Pound said after WADA's foundation board voted. Mr Fahey's appointment ended weeks of turbulent negotiations which upset European stakeholders and dented WADA's reputation.
Mr Fahey, who in the end was the only candidate, won 13 of the 17 public authority votes and was then backed by the 18 Olympic movement votes.
The European public authorities who opposed Mr Fahey abstained after asking Pound to postpone the vote for six months until a consensus candidate could be found, a request Pound rejected minutes before the vote.
"I urge you (that) we take the high road and come out strong," Mr Pound told the board in a final effort to push through agreement.
Maude de Boer, deputy secretary general of the Council of Europe said the European bloc of public authority representatives wanted a postponement as a consensus among all public authority representatives had not been reached.