The contestants
The Bongo District Assembly in the Upper East Region over the weekend failed to elect a Presiding Member (PM) after two rounds of voting by Assembly members.
The election of the Bongo Assembly PM was scheduled for 10:00am on Friday, March 24, but eventually started at 1:30pm.
The Assembly members virtually spent the whole day at the venue but could not elect a PM.
After the first round of voting, none of the three contestants was able to secure the required two-third majority votes to become the Presiding Member.
The winner was expected to garner 37 votes out of 56 votes.
Joseph Abaa Akansake, representing Awaa Electoral Area, polled 14 votes, Andrews Adendaa Nsobila from Namoon Electoral Area, obtained 15 votes, while Duke Anaba Awinsone, a government appointee, polled 21 votes.
Ahead of the second round of voting, Joseph Abaa Akansake stepped down to pave way for Duke Anaba Awinsone and Andrews Adendaa Nsobila to face each other.
Andrews Adendaa Nsobila polled 24 votes while the government appointee, Duke Anaba Awinesone had 27 votes.
According to reports, there were some partisan considerations, which must be addressed in order to get a PM to help steer the affairs of the Bongo Assembly.
There is also a group that suspects that the District Chief Executive (DCE) would be chosen from a section of the district and so the PM should also be selected from another section in order to balance the power.
Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari, who witnessed the process, called on the Assembly members to shun parochial interests and unite to effectively develop the district.
He charged them to elect a Presiding Member when the Assembly members vote again on Friday, April 15 2016.
Some people claimed persons, who sympathize with the National Democratic Congress (NDC), outnumber functionaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the assembly.
From Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bongo
