Chief elected Presiding Member of Dormaa Municipal Assembly

Barimah Yeboah Kordie, the Aduanahene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, was on Friday elected as the Presiding Member for the Dormaa Municipal Assembly after the Assembly had failed to in its attempts a few weeks after its inauguration.

He polled 34 votes representing 76 per cent out of the total ballot cast, while Mr Edwin Akrasi Tannor, his main contender polled 11 votes representing 24 per cent during the second round of elections.

The third candidate, Mr. Kofi Beneabesi, the immediate past Presiding Member withdrew his candidature during the second round of election, as well as Mr Kwadwo Opuni Frimpong who had contested about a fortnight ago but failed to contest in the latest election.

The election travelled into its second round after each of the three candidates had failed to obtain the required two-thirds majority to secure a win in the first round.

Prior to the elections, Mr Ismail C. Forson Nkrumah, an Assembly member for the Adumasa Amasu Electoral Area, had raised an objection to the sudden increase in the constitution of government appointees from 10 to 14, who were selected as members together with the 30 newly elected assembly members some weeks ago.

Mr. Peter Maala, the Municipal Coordinating Director, had announced that there was an error in the formula used in calculating the number of government appointees initially.

Explaining reasons for the addition of four new members to the 10 already appointed by the government, Mr. Christian Boafo Offeh, the Municipal Electoral Officer, said the Assembly was mandated by the NALAG Act 462 Section 5(1) not to appoint any member not exceeding 30 per cent of the elected house.

He added that the law gave an upper ceiling within which the Assembly could reach in the choice of its government appointees to serve in the Assembly body.

In his victory speech, Barimah Yeboah Kordie, thanked all the Assembly members for the confidence reposed in him and urged them to support him to push the development agenda of the Municipality forward.

He was later sworn into office by the Dormaa Circuit Court Judge.

Mr. Kwaku Agyemang Manu, the Member of Parliament for the Dormaa Central Constituency who is a member of the Assembly was, however, not present to cast his ballot.

GNA