Waccamaw EOC member Mustafa unseated

CONWAY -- The vocal minority lingered Tuesday night after voters failed to reaffirm last year's election of Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council board member Abdullah Mustafa in balloting at Huckabee Heights in Conway.

"I'm appalled and saddened," said Sherry Johnson, who was elected by those present to lead the reassessment vote. The S.C. Office of Economic Opportunity "did another injustice."

Mustafa said prior to the vote he was confident of re-election, but the 83 people who cast ballots were of another mind. Mustafa lost the election by a vote of 54 to 29.

The reassessment was mandated by the state office, which found in a March audit that Mustafa's election to the board last year was not done according to the Waccamaw EOC's bylaws.

The audit also accused Mustafa of improperly interfering in the day-to-day activities of the agency, which he admitted and said he wouldn't stop.

After Tuesday night's vote, he still was fighting the system.

"We're not going to have a new vote," he said, after telling the audience that the vote doesn't mean that he's no longer on the board.

EOC board chairman Zach Grate, who watched the ballotting, said otherwise.

He said a new vote to elect a board member to replace Mustafa is "supposed to take place."

Those voting against Mustafa were indeed the silent majority, and they refused to comment before the vote was announced or afterwards.

Those in favor of Mustafa felt more free to express their opinions.

Joe Bromell of Conway said he supported Mustafa because he's outspoken and direct.

"He don't hide nothing," Bromell said.

They also objected to the reassessment vote and said they are circulating a petition to go to the U.S. Department of Justice, stating that their voting rights have been violated through the reassessment process.

The state office insisted on the reassessment in order to satisfy the findings of the audit.

Had it not happened, the state was moving toward shutting the EOC. The agency serves thousands of low-income residents of Horry, Georgetown and Williamsburg counties with things such as rent and mortgage assistance and weatherization.