New Edubiase (Ash), May 5, GNA - Mr Opoku Ampofo Manu, the President's nominee for the position of the Adansi South District Chief Executive (DCE) failed to secure the requisite two-thirds of votes cast at the meeting of the assembly held at New Edubiase in Ashanti. Mr Manu polled 32 votes out of 53 total votes cast representing 62.3 per cent in the election, supervised by officials of the Electoral Commission (EC).

The assembly would reconvene within 10 days for another round of voting.

In the three rounds-marathon election of Presiding Member (PM), Mr Benjamin Anhwere, assembly member for Wuruyie, emerged the winner. In the first round, he polled 30 votes as against 23 by his contestant, Mr Morris Jonas Woode, immediate past PM and assembly member for Akrofuom, while the second round voting ended with 32 and 21 votes respectively.

Before the third round voting, Mr Woode stepped down to pave way for Mr Anhwere, who had 39 votes, to secure the two-thirds majority requirement.

Addressing the meeting, Madam Anima Wilson, Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, appealed to the assembly members to put their political affiliations aside and confirm the DCE to ensure effective administration and accelerated development of the district. Mr Isaac Kwaku Amoah, the District Magistrate, swore-in the Presiding Member and Madam Rebecca Damptey, Mrs Augustina Bentsil and Nana Anim Agyekum, as government appointees, who were absent during the swearing-in of the other appointees. Dignitaries present included Mr Ernest Kofi Yakah, Member of Parliament (MP) for New Edubiase, Mr Doe Tamakloe, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC and some traditional rulers.