A member of the Electoral Commission’s National Election Steering Committee, Joseph Whittal, has rejected allegations that he should be withdrawn from the committee because he is a known loyalist of the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC). Mr. Whittal told citifmonline.com, he is also not a card bearing member of the NDC as alleged by his critics.
Pro-opposition pressure group, Let my Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) and Spokesperson for the NPP Flagbearer, Mustapha Hamid, have been putting pressure on the Electoral Commission to withdraw Mr. Whittal, who’s the rep of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), from the 18-member committee because in their view, he is not neutral.
Mustapha Hamid had argued that Mr. Whittal is a known member of the NDC, and a former Parliamentary Candidate for the party in the Builsa North Constituency in the 2000 election.
But speaking to citifmonoline.com, Mr. Whittal said he has never contested any political office before adding that.
“I am not a card bearing member of the NDC.â€
He further challenged anyone with evidence to the contrary to provide same.
“I was appointed to the committee as the representative from CHRAJ and not for my own interest,†he added.
LMVCA got NSS rep kicked out
Let My Vote Count Alliance has succeeded in getting Dr. Karl Marx Arhin of the National Service Secretariat (NSS) withdrawn from the committee after it was confirmed that he is a known NDC member who works for the party.
The pressure group has also alleged that Francis Azumah of the National Peace Council who’s also on the committee, is a known member of the NDC hence their call for the entirety of the committee to be dissolved and reconstituted.
Despite the brouhaha over the composition of the committee, the Electoral Commission has told Citi News, it will not dissolve the committee.
citifmonline.com