EC drops Mark Arhin from election steering committee after claims of bias
Following recent information that Dr Karl Mark Arhin is a card bearing member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Electoral Commission (EC) has decided to drop him from the election steering committee it set up recently, Graphic Online understands.
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Dr Arhin was appointed to the committee as a representative of the National Service Scheme (NSS) as part of the EC's plan to use National Service personnel as Election Officers.
The NSS is now set to withdraw him and appoint a replacement in the light of the feedback on his partisan status.
Dr Arhin who is a Deputy Executive Secretary at the NSS, until recently, was said to be a former Deputy Director of International Affairs of the NDC.
There has been arguments why Dr Arhin decided to accept the appointment knowing his partisan status.
Pressure group Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) had on Tuesday called on the EC to dissolve the steering committee, which it said was NDC-biased.
It contended that Dr Arhin's nomination was dangerous and questioned, "...how fair can this process be when the person nominated to facilitate this process is a leading member of the ruling party?"
"The EC has every right to set up a new committee to help deliver credible and peaceful elections. But, it defeats any well-meaning purpose when the composition is itself manifestly biased and the deliberation towards its composition and functions left out key stakeholders such as political parties and civil society groups."
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"We, therefore, wish to urge the Commission to reverse the inauguration of the Steering Committee, go back to the drawing table with all key stakeholders and find consensus to, if need be, move this concept forward but in the right direction with the right people," LMVCA said in a statement.
The Electoral Commission inaugurated an 18-member steering committee to oversee and ensure the smooth conduct of this year's general elections.
The committee which is chaired by the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs. Charlotte Osei includes acting boss of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) Joseph Whittal and COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, the Director-General of Police Operations.
Other members of the committee are Col F. Ogbe, Deputy Director General of Joint Operations from the Ghana Armed Forces, Mr Samuel Asare Akuamoah, Deputy Chairman in charge of operations at NCCE, Mr Bernard Ntim, Head of Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring Unit at the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Francis Azuimah, Executive Secretary of National Peace Council, Mr George Sarpong, Executive Secretary, National Media Commission (NMC), and Sylvester K. B. Rabbles, Director of Prisons Operations, Ghana Prisons Service.
Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh