A LABOUR councillor has dramatically quit a troubled race watchdog organisation. He says he saw people being pressured to vote a certain way in internal elections.

Blackburn with Darwen Councillor Salim Mulla has added his voice to that of a founder member of the Racial Equality Council who resigned a month ago over the "wheeling and dealing" which surrounded elections to the organisation's executive committee.

Roy Martin did not expand on what he meant by "wheeling and dealing" but Coun Mulla said he saw people being pressurised to vote a certain way as they queued up to cast their votes in the second round of a ballot.

Coun Mulla lost out in that second round to Janaid Qureshi, who has since been made chairman of the organisation, and Kamruddin Kothia.

Roy Martin had already been excluded in the first round of the ballot before making his allegations a week later and resigning from the watchdog.

In his letter of resignation, Coun Mulla said: "The way the second round ballot was conducted was a total disaster. I could not believe what my eyes were seeing. The wheeling and the dealing that was performed within the council chamber was evident.

"It was there to be viewed. I think it is only right to speak out in support of what actually happened.

"At the second ballot, I saw papers being taken by some members of the executive and they were pressurising and aiding members to put the cross on the name of an individual. "I went up to the chairman and suggested the election was void. I telephoned the director of the REC a couple of days later and I said he was partly to blame for the way the election was conducted.

"I said the REC made a shambles of the election in front of Susie Parsons, the chief executive of the Commission for Racial Equality.

"The election was a fiasco. I am not surprised at all that Mr Martin does not want to be a part of the REC after 35 years of service."

Coun Mulla said it had taken him time to withdraw from the REC because he needed to consult with the body he represents on the organisation, the Queens Park and Audley Asian Forum.

The resignation is the latest blow to the organisation, which has also had to deal its former chairman, Coun Mohammed Khan, having to resign after being offered, and accepting, a £22,000 per year job on the body despite his position of authority.

He also resigned as housing director of Blackburn with Darwen Council. His deputy Coun Dave Hollings resigned because he sat on the selection panel which offered Coun Khan the job.

Conservative Coun Edna Arnold has resigned her positions on the council and the REC as she was also on the selection panel which offered Coun Khan the £22,000 job.

Janaid Qureshi said: "I don't want to make any comment other than to say the election took the same form as in every previous year."

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