KMA PM to be decided on Friday September 30

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has set Friday September 30 to determine who becomes its Presiding Member after failed attempts for the fifth time.

The Assembly has been split as supporters of the candidates have taken entrenched positions to ensure their preferred candidate is elected.

In the four elections conducted so far, none of the candidates could garner the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority of votes cast.

Abraham Boadi, Assembly Member for Ridge-Nhyiaso Electoral Area polled 65 votes; Obeng Poku, Assembly Member for Bremang Central Electoral Area had 2 votes and Adusei Bonsu Micheal, Assembly Member for Asafo Dadieso Aba Electoral Area, garnered 59 votes.

An earlier motion was put forward before the elections to allow the leading candidate to become the Presiding Member due to difficulty in having to go through several election attempts.

But government appointees and some members kicked against the decision with Assembly Member for Asafo Dadieso Aba Electoral area indicating that he would not step down after the elections.

The Assembly had to conduct fresh nominations and subsequent elections involving these three candidates after the only candidate remaining in the previous election failed to gain the mandate of the assembly through a YES or NO ballot.

Earlier pleas by the Ashanti Regional Minister John Alexander Ackon for members to put aside personal interests and work towards the progress of the Assembly has not yielded results.

The Minister, who was not enthused about the failure of the assembly to elect a presiding member for the umpteenth time, had pointed out that the deadlock had hampered development in the metropolis.