Tarkwa, (W/R) May 5, GNA - The Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly has failed to endorse the President's nominee, Mrs. Christina Kobina, for the position of Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) as she could not secure two-thirds of the 37 votes cast by members present. Therefore, those who carried powder and perfume to celebrate her anticipated victory went home disappointed. A total of six rounds of voting, supervised by officials from the Western Regional office of the Electoral Commission, did not confirm either the MCE or a PM.
Earlier, the assembly member for Dompim Electoral Area, Robert Mensah, and the Assembly member for Benso Electoral Area, Gordon Opoku Boateng, vied for the seat of the presiding member. In both the first and second rounds of voting, Mr Mensah polled 22, while Mr Opoku polled 15 votes. But in the third round, Mr. Mensah had 23 votes with Mr Opoku Boateng getting 14.
According to the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Kizito Ballans, the assembly needed to elect a presiding member who would sign the confirmation of the MCE and therefore set aside the first two nominees.
Fresh nominations were, consequently, made and Mr Moses Ackah, a government appointee and the headmaster of Tarkwa Senior High School and Mr Alex Quarm, assembly member for Brenuakyim and a businessman were chosen. In the first ballot, Mr Ackah polled 18 while Mr Quarm had 13 and six ballots were rejected. In the second round, Mr Ackah maintained his 18 votes while Mr Quarm lost one vote to obtain 12. Seven were rejected. When the meeting resumed after a 15-minute break, Mr Quarm came out of the race and pleaded with his supporters to back Mr Ackah. This paved the way for the third round with the hope of confirming Mr Ackah. But there was a turn of event, when 19 voted in his favour and 18 voted against him. Mr Ballans then adjourned the meeting. Meanwhile Mr. Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, a former teacher of Fiaseman Senior High School, was endorsed as the Prestea-Huni Valley District Chief Executive. Being a new district, the Presiding Member's tenure of office had not elapsed and was, therefore, not voted for. 05 May 09
