New Juaben Assembly failed to elect Presiding Member

Koforidua, Apr 22, GNA - The New Juaben Municipal Assembly on Wednesday, failed to elect a new Presiding Member (PM), after two rounds of voting ahead of the confirmation of the President's nominee for the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) post. Mr George Boakye- Yiadom and Mrs Stella Adu Obeng, the contestants, who are both teachers of the Pope John Senior High School, are an elected and government appointed members respectively of the assembly. At the first round of voting, Mr Boakye-Yiadom who has been an assembly member since 1998 obtained 35 votes, whiles Mrs Obeng Adu had 30 votes. The in the second run of voting they obtained 34 and 32 votes respectively.

The New Juaben Municipal Electoral (EC) Officer, Ms Lydia Agyiri, who conducted the elections, informed the house that the law regarding election of a PM was that the winner should obtain two-thirds of the total membership of the assembly, which stood at 72. She said as regards to the law, after the two rounds of voting and none of them secured the required number, they were to be withdrawn from the race and fresh nominations opened for another voting to take place. That explanation led to debates and arguments as to whether the EC had the right to decide for the house.

The assembly members argued that there had been precedence where they voted 11 times for the same candidates until there was a clear winner and therefore the two should be maintained. Others also contended that looking at the pattern of the voting, there was no way a clear winner would emerge and therefore suggested that the two should stepped aside for fresh nominations to be opened for another election.

After several arguments and debates by members of the house, it was agreed that the two members be maintained whiles voting was adjourned to allow them enough time to consult and lobby to win the required votes. The Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr Michael Offei, who chaired the meeting, reminded the house earlier, that the procedure demanded that a presiding member was elected before government's nominee for the MCE post could be confirmed.