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 Blatter, 79, tried to look ahead at executive meeting that set the
date for the election as Feb. 26 and sketched out the reforms - but
the corruption scandal that erupted in May once again overshadowed
plans that critics blasted as insufficient.
As he sat down to begin a news conference at FIFA's Zurich
headquarters, Blatter, head of the body since 1998, was showered
with fake dollar bills by a suited prankster.
Clearly shaken, Blatter left the room while staff cleared up the
paper from the floor.
British media identified the protester, who was taken away by
police, as comedian Lee Nelson, real name Simon Brodkin, who has
been involved in similar pranks and posted a picture of the incident
on the Twitter feed of one of his alter egos.
World soccer bosses will be hoping the organization can draw a line
under the past months with the election of a new leader.
While Blatter himself has not been charged with any wrongdoing, his
vice president, Jeffrey Webb, appeared in a U.S. court on Saturday
and pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, wire
fraud and money laundering.
The 50-year-old Cayman Islands national is among nine soccer
officials and five marketing executives charged by the U.S. Justice
Department with allegedly exploiting the sport for their own gain
through bribes of more than $150 million over 24 years.
Blatter said his decision to quit in June, despite having won a
fifth-term four days earlier, was to help FIFA while it was under
attack.
"There was pressure coming from different groups, attacking FIFA. I
had to do something for FIFA, not for me. My mission now is to
defend the institution (of) FIFA. I can defend myself. I don’t need
help. But FIFA (does)," Blatter said.
He decribed May's events as a "tsunami", saying: "I am still alive,
the waves of the tsunami have not taken me away."
PLATINI SUPPORT
Despite speculation he would renege on stepping down, he insisted he
would not be standing as a candidate and said he may work in radio
after his retirement from FIFA.
UEFA president Michel Platini has emerged as the early frontrunner
ahead of the vote which will be held at a special elective congress
in Zurich.
Platini has yet to decide whether to run but a source close to the
European governing body said he had received encouraging support
from leaders of four of the six regional confederations that make up
FIFA.
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Blatter's news conference was short on details of the new taskforce,
but a statement from the organization said it would be made up of 10
representatives of the confederations and be headed by an as yet
unnamed "neutral chairman".
Blatter used the phrase "independent personality" to describe the
head of the task force.
The newly created body has been charged with making "concrete and
comprehensive" proposals for the next executive committee meeting on
Sept. 24 and 15.
The executive committee also heard proposals from Domenico Scala,
independent chairman of the Audit and Compliance Committee on term
limits, enhanced "centralized integrity checks" and disclosure of
salaries of FIFA leaders.
Asked twice to declare his own salary now, however, Blatter refused.
"You can ask me that question all afternoon," he said.
The reforms, which come after similar proclamations following
scandals in 2011, met with swift criticism from the Transparency
International lobby group.
"Measures announced today by FIFA fall far short of what is required
to clean out corruption at FIFA and its associations.
Instead of agreeing to a serious independent reform commission, FIFA
announced yet another taskforce. This will not be sufficient to win
back trust," it said in a statement.
The one change agreed by the executive commmittee is for World Cup
bidders and contractors on World Cup hosting projects to satisfy
U.N. "Principles on Business and Human Rights".
FIFA's choices of Russia and Qatar as hosts for the 2018 and 2022
World Cups has been criticized by human rights groups.
(Editing by Alison Williams)
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