Rio mayor wants Olympic planning body dissolved

Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes has called upon Brazil`s federal government to disband the Olympic Public Authority (APO), a public body created to oversee planning for the 2016 Olympics.

Just days after the resignation of the organization`s president Marcio Fortes, Paes Saturday said the APO had become redundant, reports Xinhua. "The APO was an attempt to bring the London (2012) model here but it hasn`t worked," Paes said. "We already have three government entities and each one has its responsibilities. The APO is an unnecessary structure." Fortes, a minister under Brazil`s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had reportedly become disillusioned after being marginalised by local, state and federal governments. Paes said he had already held discussions with the respective ministers of sports, justice and internal affairs to dissolve the APO. "Marcio Fortes was the right person for the job, but it`s obvious that he didn`t have anything to do," Paes said. "I`m not going to delegate my municipal responsibilities for Olympic projects to others. If something goes wrong, the people will be asking for my resignation, not his." A media spokesperson for the APO could not be immediately reached for comment. IANS