Mark: Remove chief election officer immediately

UPDATE:

OPPOSITION Senator Wade Mark has called for the immediate removal of the Elections and Boundaries Commission’s (EBC) chief election officer.

He was piloting a motion in the Senate yesterday calling for legislation to bring the EBC under parliamentary scrutiny.

“A hint of anyone under its watch being compromised or being able to be compromised or to take or blemish the electoral process, wherever that hint is given it is cause for alarm. And that can lead...to serious developments for the stability, for the peace, the good order and the government of our nation.”

Mark said the chief election officer was the relative of a sitting minister. In October last year, Mark alleged in the Senate that Fern Narcis-Scope was the first cousin of then public administration minister Maxie Cuffie but the EBC denied this.

Mark said there was unease and public concern about the developments recently at EBC and said the Leader of Government Business must take action to have Narcis-Scope removed or replaced by someone who was neutral, impartial and cannot be questioned.”

He said the EBC must pay attention to the perception being given to society.

“The people of the nation not happy with what is taking place at this time.”

He said there should be no sacred cows particularly where public resources were being expended to execute operations.

“Parliamentarians must guard with our lives our independent institutions.”

Mark said if the EBC was under the scrutiny of a joint select committee, as is the case in South Africa, United Kingdom, New Zealand and other territories, some of the things that had occurred would not have happened. He questioned why the EBC was “cutting up boundaries” and can make changes resulting in three United National Congress constituencies going to the People’s National Movement. He said the EBC believes “they can do whatever they want.”

“We serve notice today on the EBC that those days are over.”

Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat, in response, said he was disappointed with Mark’s contribution and said his motion was an attempt to attack the Public Service Commission which had taken responsibility for the appointment of the chief election officer. He said this attack was unwarranted, unnecessary and demeans the Senate.

“I do not agree with the use of parliamentary time to settle personal scores.”

He said if Mark believed the decision ought to have been challenged, the place to have done that was in judicial review proceedings and “not in this honourable House.”

ORIGINAL STORY:

Opposition Senator Wade Mark has called for the immediate removal of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) Chief Election Officer.

He was piloting a motion in Senate on Monday calling for legislation to bring the EBC under parliamentary scrutiny.

"A hint of anyone under its watch being compromised or being able to be compromised or to take or blemish the electoral process, wherever that hint is given it is cause for alarm. And that can lead...to serious developments for the stability, for the peace, the good order and the government of our nation."

Mark pointed out the Chief Election Officer was the relative of a sitting minister. Back in October Mark alleged in Senate that Chief Election Officer Fern Narcis-Scope was the first cousin of then public administration minister Maxie Cuffie but the EBC has publicly denied this.

Mark said there was unease and public concern about the developments recently at EBC and said the Leader of Government Business must take action to have the Chief Election Officer replaced or removed and have someone put in who was neutral, impartial and cannot be questioned.

Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat said he was disappointed with Mark's contribution and said his motion was an attempt to attack the Public Service Commission which had taken responsibility for the appointment.

"It was unwarranted, unnecessary and demeans this House."