Asokwa fails to elect PM again

For the third time this year, the Asokwa Municipal Assembly, has failed in its attempt to elect a presiding member.

At its meeting last Thursday to elect a presiding member, the two new candidates for the position failed to poll the required number to be elected as the presiding member.

The new candidates were Dr Kwabena Boadu, a government appointee and Nana Yaw Wiredu, an elected assembly member for Ahinsan Estate.

They had replaced Messrs Oscar Riches and Bismark Osei Tutu, who became ineligible after failing to get the nod after standing for the post for four times at two consecutive meetings.

The attempt to elect a presiding member followed the Kumasi High Court’s ruling last month striking out the application for injunction filed by Oscar Riches who had sought to contest again.

Votes

In the first round of the election, Dr Boadu garnered 11 out of the 17 votes cast while Nana Yaw Wiredu polled six votes.

In all, there were 17 members present made up of 10 elected assembly members and seven government appointees, including the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Akwannuasah Gyimah.

The second round saw Dr Boadu increasing his vote by one but not enough for him to be declared winner.

He needed 13 votes out of the 19-member assembly to represent two-thirds of votes needed to win the position.

Electoral areas

The assembly has 12 electoral areas, assembly members, with seven government appointees and the Member of Parliament for the area, who is an ex officio member, making up the total of 20.

With no clear winner in sight, the assembly as announced by the EC would hold another election in a week's time to settle the matter if the candidates so wished to contest again.

Background

In February this year, Mr Oscar Riches, the Assembly Member for Asokwa New Town took the assembly and the Electoral Commission to court for disqualifying him from contesting for the position after he failed on two occasions to get the nod.

However, in its ruling last March, the High Court presided over by Justice Frederick Tetteh, dismissed the application for injunction against the EC and the assembly describing it as incompetent.

This was because the applicant failed to notify the assembly of his intention to sue it contrary to the section 210 (1) of 936.