The embattled DCE, who was renominated by President John Mahama, was rejected by the assembly in the initial election.
The heavily-built men, numbering about 20, stormed the assembly hall after realizing that majority of the assembly members had voted against Mr Kyeremeh for the second time.
Eyewitnesses told DAILY GUIDE that when the electoral officials finished counting the No votes which amounted to 15 out of the total 29, the macho men, believed to have been hired by the DCE, stormed the hall, snatched the ballot papers including the ballot box and prevented the electoral officers from counting remaining ballot.
According to reports, everybody in the hall including the assembly members took cover.
Five ‘macho’ men pounced on one Sylvester Kwadwo Peprah, Assemblyman for Wamanafo-Sabikrom Electoral Area, who was suspected to have instigated his colleagues to reject the deposed DCE.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that the assemblyman was subjected to severe beatings.
As at the time of filing this report, the injured assemblyman was on admission at the Bishop Mathew’s Polyclinic at Ampenkrom, near Dormaa Ahenkro.
It would be recalled that 29 members of the assembly on Thursday, July 18, 2013 rejected the president’s nominee. He secured only 15 out of the 29 votes.
Mr. I.K Kyeremeh, who was subsequently renominated, failed to secure the required two-thirds majority of the Assembly members present.
Per the law, the president has to withdraw his nomination and nominate another person for confirmation.
Article 16 of the District Assemblies’ Standing Orders stipulate, among others that the President’s nominee must secure two-thirds majority of the Assembly to qualify as DCE and if he or she gets 50 percent of the valid votes cast, there should be a second round of voting within 10 days.
If the nominee fails to secure the two-thirds majority after the second round of voting, the President must withdraw his nomination and make new nominations.
A senior official at the assembly told DAILY GUIDE that the police did not arrest the ‘macho’ men who assaulted the assemblyman.
Party officials and DCE told the police that it was purely an internal party matter.
The injured assemblyman, who is popularly called Watiango, vied for the DCE post.
According to the senior assembly official, the victim was stripped off his kente cloth and beaten to pulp by the ‘macho’ men popularly called ‘Berekum Nima Boys, who were recruited from Berekum.
FROM Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani
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