ACCA chief executive Anthea Rose is retiring at the end of 2001. It is also likely that two of the directors Anthony Booth and Mike Walsh will also retire.

The political game to replace the chief executive is now being played. Look out for populist statements. AABA understand that the list of the next generation of bureaucrats hoping to replace Rose includes  Peter Large, Mark Protherough, Ross Midgley, Helen Brand and Andrew Harding.

AABA believes that members should reject all these candidates. The top-job at the ACCA should be given to an ACCA member. The above are not ACCA members. Ross Midgley has the letters ACCA after his name but they were not obtained by passing ACCA exams. If ACCA does not give its top-job to a person with ACCA qualifications why should anyone else?

Another good reason to reject the above is that they have all been part of an administrative structure associated with waste of resources, secrecy, censorship and failed policies. ACCA needs new blood, someone who can look at things afresh.

Members should elect the chief executive and also fix his/her remuneration. The chief executive's salary increase should be the subject of a specific resolution at the AGM. Members should judge how well the Association has been run rather than a few friends of the chief executive sitting on the Remuneration Committee.