The Ho Municipal Assembly hall was virtually thrown into a state of confusion last Friday after three rounds of voting by members failed to produce a new Presiding Member (PM).
The contest became a ‘show down’ between elected assembly members and government appointees, after three elected contenders, withdrew from the race, leaving Mr. Stephen Adom, Assemblyman for Loboli Electoral area to battle the PM’s slot with a Government Appointee and Queen of Taviefe ,Mama Serwa Fenu I.
With the ‘battle line’ clearly drawn, none of the two contenders was however able to poll 29 votes representing two-third majority of the 44 member assembly in the first round to win the PM’s slot, as Mr. Stephen Adom polled 23 votes as against 18 votes for Mama Serwa Fenu I.
Mr. Adom maintained his momentum during the second and third rounds of voting, polling 28 votes, one vote short of the required 29 votes to win the contest, leaving Mama Serwa Fenu with 15 and 13 votes respectively.
After the third round, Mr. Adom managed to convince Mama Fenu, who withdrew from the race with a caution to Mr. Adom to be “careful”. .
Mama Fenu’s decision however was at the displeasure of her supporters, some of whom made loud noises and called for the election to be rescheduled, arguing that it was illegal to vote on the same subject for more than three times.
Supporters of Mr Adom also protested the adjournment but had to soften their stance after officials of the Electoral Commission conducting the election pleaded with them, that they were tired.
This frustrated some of the assembly members, who walked out of the hall, when the motion for the adjournment was being moved, boycotting the closing procedures and lunch.
Mr. Stephen Adom is now faced with the task of wooing two-third majority of the assembly members on the next adjourned date to give him the nod to complete the unexpired term of the former Presiding Member.
The position became vacant following the creation of the Ho-West District Assembly, where the former Presiding Member, Mr Mathew Atsrim comes from.
