Ramie Al-Masri has withdrawn from tomorrow's election ©Ramie Al-Masri

Germany’s Ramie Al-Masri has become the second candidate to withdraw from the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Presidential election, leaving five candidates standing at tomorrow’s Congress.

In a statement, AIBA said its Election Committee has received a letter confirming Al-Masri's withdrawal.

The withdrawal of the German referee now leaves five candidates seeking the AIBA Presidency.

AIBA Interim President Mohamed Moustahsane, of Morocco, Russian Boxing Federation secretary general Umar Kremlev and Azerbaijan's Suleyman Mikayilov are among those standing for President.

Al Otaiba of the United Arab Emirates and Dutch Boxing Federation President Boris van der Vorst complete the field.

Domingo Solano withdrew from the contest yesterday.

His withdrawal came just days after insidethegames revealed that the Dominican Republic Boxing Federation (FEDOBOXA), which nominated Solano for the AIBA Presidency, has been provisionally suspended on suspicion of four disciplinary breaches after it attempted to pay membership fees for nine countries so they could vote at AIBA's Congress.

In October, insidethegames revealed that FEDOBOXA had transferred a total of $4,800 (£3,700/€4,000) to the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) to cover the dues of the nine National Federations.

AMBC President Osvaldo Bisbal reported the "disturbing case" of the payment, alleging FEDOBOXA told the AMBC the money "was to pay for the membership fees for nine National Federations in order for them to be eligible for the upcoming Congress".

Nine countries have seen their provisional suspensions lifted prior to tomorrow's Congress ©ITG
Nine countries have seen their provisional suspensions lifted prior to tomorrow's Congress ©ITG

FEDOBOXA denied wrongdoing and claimed that Solano was unaware of the payment and would have warned them against it had he known.

Last week, AIBA suspended nine countries over the matter - the Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Haiti, Suriname, Domincia, Saint Maarten, the US Virgin Islands and the Bahamas.

Anguilla was found not guilty of the charges by the AIBA Disciplinary Commission.

The nine suspended countries will be able to participate in tomorrow's crucial Congress, after the AIBA Disciplinary Commission lifted the provisional suspensions.

The decision, seen by insidethegames, found the nine member associations "not guilty on all charges" following a hearing.

The Dominican Republic is one of 10 members of the American Boxing Confederation to have offered their support to van der Vorst.

Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Bolivia, Cuba, Peru, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Guatemala and Nicaragua signed a joint statement pledging their support to the Dutch Boxing Federation President’s candidacy.

Al Otaiba's campaign received a boost yesterday after the Asian Boxing Confederation President was backed by USA Boxing.

Kremlev claimed he had received official letters of support from more than 30 national federations, including Uzbekistan, Colombia, Serbia, Cambodia and Mongolia.

The Congress is scheduled to take place remotely tomorrow.

The Congress is expected to be key for the future of the organisation, which was suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year and stripped of any involvement in organising the boxing event at Tokyo 2020.

In a statement last month, the IOC warned it would "take into consideration the concerns which have been raised against some of the candidates for the AIBA Presidency and their potential impact on recognition".

More recently, IOC President Thomas Bach said this week that AIBA is "well aware" of the IOC's concerns, and that IOC chief ethics and compliance officer Pâquerette Girard-Zappelli had been in contact with the AIBA Election Committee.

More follows.