TMA fails to elect PM

Tema, Nov. 21, GNA - After eight rounds of voting in two separate sittings, the 80-member Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) on Tuesday failed again to elect a Presiding Member because none of the two contestants got the two-thirds majority of the votes cast as the law required.

Despite a series of consultations in the fifth rounds of voting on Tuesday both contestants, Mr Seth Laryea Tetteh, a government appointee and Mr Ibrahim Baidoo, an elected member of Nanmono electoral area and the assembly members took entrenched positions with a status quo voting pattern.

A call on one of them to step down for the other did not yield any results. In all the voting for Tuesday, Mr Laryea Tetteh took the lead with 42 against 32 of Mr Ibrahim in the first round, in the second round Mr Ibrahim's votes reduced by two votes while Mr Tetteh had 47 with two rejects.

Since a contestant needed two thirds of the number or 53 votes to become a winner the voting continued until the eighth round when Mr Laryea Tetteh had 47 and his opponent 27, which was the voting pattern through out the previous voting.

Later, tempers flared amidst tension in the House and members took turns to either call for adjournment or conduct fresh nominations as none of the contestants was getting the nod.

But this did not materialize and not even the intervention of the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr David Quaye Annan reminding them that they were accountable to the people and therefore should see the need to vote a PM moved them to change their stance.

Consequently, after lengthy deliberations the election for the PM was adjourned indefinitely at 1530 hours at the sitting, which started at 1100 hrs.

During the three rounds of voting in the first sitting on November 14, two other contestants Mrs Gladys Naadu Tetteh, member for Sutsurunaa electoral area and Mr Kingsley Kwame Appiah, Ottanor electoral area stood down for the other two contestants.