The Kwabre East District Assembly in Ashanti region could not elect a Presiding Member after two rounds of voting failed to produce a winning candidate. A 55-year old chief, a government appointee and 45-year old teacher were each unable to garner two-thirds majority of the 46-member assembly to win the slot. This compelled the acting Presiding Member and District Coordinating Director to adjourn sitting. District Chief Executive, Adams Iddisah and MP for the area, Kofi Frimpong expressed disappointment in the stalemate. According to the DCE, the failure to elect a Presiding Member could pose a challenge in the development process of the district. Mr. Iddisah appealed to the assembly members to work in unity to come to a concensus. "The last assembly did not operate on partisan lines, and I will imlore all of you(assembly members) to participate in house's activities devoid of politics" Mr. Iddisah warned. Mr. Iddisah had earlier announced payment of ex-gratia to former assembly members will take effect this week. Members are to receive between five hundred and 250 Ghana cedis, based on years of service. Meanwhile, one of the contenders for the Presiding Member slot has decried the extent to which party politics is creeping into the District Assembly concept. Samed Akalilu, one of the three contestants who stepped down at the eleventh hour claims his decision was to diffuse the political machinations characterizing the first voting exercise of the assembly. "Outside the scene they will tell you it is non-partisan but I can tell you behind the scenes it is purely politics" he said. According to him, the election of the Presiding Member was a race between the NPP and the NDC. ‘‘There were a lot of political machinations here and there, party camps here and there…Vote on party lines but I was confused and didn’t want to be counted among them’’. In all, 46-assembly members including 31 elected officials and 13 government appointees took the oath of office administered by Her Worship Aliata Saeed of the Mamponteng District Court. Out of the number, only six were females. Chairperson of the ceremony and Mampontenghemaa, Nana Kyerew Akenten appealed to women to take up leadership roles in society. She charged the assembly members to take steps to address problems confronting their respective electoral areas. The President was represented by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Council, Kwadwo Owusu Agyemang. Story by Ohemeng Tawiah/Nhyira FM/Ghana