For the fifth consecutive time, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly on Tuesday failed to elect a presiding member to steer the affairs of the Assembly.
One of the two main contestants, Adumhene Baffour Adjei Kesse, prior to Tuesday’s election served notice the Electoral Commission of his decision to step down “in the interest of the development of Kumasi”.
There were high expectations that his key contender, Nana Kofi Senya, was also going to step aside in order for the assembly to elect what many have described as ‘compromised’ presiding member but that failed, prompting referendum for Nana Senya Tuesday.
Only 62 assembly members voted YES for his bid while 65 of them voted NO with one rejected ballot. This means he failed to secure the two-thirds majority required to win the presiding membership.
Currently, members of the assembly are trying to get Nana Senya to step down for another election, probably today but he appears unyielding.
The KMA has not had an functioning Assembly for almost a year after four failed attempts to elect a presiding member.
Acting Mayor and Ashanti regional minister, Alexander Ackon, had appealed to the Assembly members to be conscious of the negative impact of failing to constitute an assembly.
According to him, the preparation of composite budget, fee fixing and revenue generation drives are affected by the current impasse.
There was high anxiety of getting a presiding member after today’s polls.
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