Pro-opposition pressure group, Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVC), says the newly inaugurated National Election Steering Committee set up by the Electoral Commission to steer the affairs of the November polls, is still compromised and must be dissolved, despite the withdrawal of a known NDC member, Dr. Karl Marx Arhin, from the committee.
Dr. Arhin’s withdrawal from the committee followed massive pressure from the LMVCA over what they called a biased composition of the committee’s membership.
[contextly_sidebar id=”PqfLm87FocBpLjumKP7wxD1kELwHlEak”]The pressure group has remained resolute in their demands to have the Steering Committee dissolved because in their view, the composition is politically biased.
They accused the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, of deliberately picking National Democratic Congress affiliates from relevant institutions to man the steering committee.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, the National Coordinator of the Let My Vote Count Alliance, David Asante, reiterated his group’s demands despite the withdrawal of Dr. Arhin.
He expressed excitement with the latest development but noted that the LMVCA did not set out to get just one individual removed.
“We are not there yet. We did not set out to pin down one particular individual on the committee to be pulled out. That is not our mission or focus.”
Steering Committee still compromised
According to him, the LMVC is not satisfied with the removal of just Dr. Arhin because the independence of the Election Steering Committee is still compromised.
“We questioned the overall neutrality and independence of the committee put together. Pulling out Dr. Karl Marx Arhin does not restore the committee to its originally intended neutrality and independence.”
The LMVC also fingered out Francis Azumiah from the Peace Council who they say is a senior member of the NDC in the Builsa North Constituency and Joe Whittal, a lawyer, and Deputy Commissioner at CHRAJ, who they have alleged is a known NDC loyalist.
Mr .Asante further expressed disgust about the fact that no background checks were made by the EC on the committee members and called that oversight on their part completely unacceptable.
“Is the EC telling us they never did any thorough background check of these individuals they picked form the various sectors to sit on the originally intended neutral committee? That is shameful on the part of the EC.”
NSS did no wrong
Despite the claims from the LMVC, the acting National Service Secretariat Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Kpessah Whyte, has rubbished the claims that they deliberately appointed Dr. Arhin onto the committee.
In an interview with Citi Eyewitness News host, Richard Dela Sky, he said the brouhaha over Dr. Arhin’s appointment to the committee was needless, insisting that the NSS did no wrong in appointing him.
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By Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana