Some Assembly members of the Ada East District have cautioned political parties to stay off the election of a presiding member. They alleged that political party manipulations were affecting the elections and causing unnecessary delays in the district's development. Members of the Assembly failed to elect a presiding member four consecutive times after their inauguration. Mr Mark Nii Adjei Sowah, the Assembly Member for Foah Wem Electoral Area, who was the sole candidate for the election, failed to get the required 'yes' votes, leaving the Ada East District Assembly without a presiding member. Out of 31 members comprising 27 elected and 12 government appointees, Mr Sowah received 21 'yes' and 15 'no,' and 21 'yes' and 14 'no' in the first and second rounds, respectively, after an initial two voting attempts also failed to achieve the aim of electing a presiding member. The Assembly members unhappy with the development got agitated and warned political parties to stay off the elections for its Presiding M ember to avoid stalling their development. Mr Prosper Tetteh Puplampu, assembly member for the Puteh Electoral Area, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the assembly members might have their reasons for rejecting the supposed PM candidate and called for calm as they awaited the next round of voting, which is supposed to be held within the next 10 days. Mr Lord Freeman Aleley, a government appointee, expressed surprise about some assembly members pushing for the elections and voting against their own. 'If about 27 of them agreed to have one of them as the presiding member, it means that they need to convince only one person to help them, and that would have been all, but just look at what just happened. After some of them had meetings with their party executives, they betrayed themselves, and it is very unfortunate,' he said. He alleged that 'this means that they as assembly members are not independent. They were receiving calls from their party executives as we were voting and were asked not to vote for the candidate.' Mr Kwame Charles Terkpernor, the Assembly Member for Elavanyor Electoral Area, expressed disappointment in his colleagues, and also blamed political party leaders for causing more harm to the district than good. Mr Eric Otumfuor, the Assembly member for Ocansekorpe Electoral Area, reiterated the caution to the political parties, saying their community members were calling on them to channel their developmental issues to the Assembly, a situation they were unable to do anything about due to the absence of a presiding member. 'Do you know that if we don't get a presiding member, we can't draw a budget for it to be factored into the national budget? So, must we continue this way because of politics? I am very disappointed,' he said. Mr Ebenezer Ayiku Akuaku, the Assembly Member for Lomobiawer Electoral Area, called on the traditional leaders to intervene as early as possible to avert developmental challenges in the town. Source: Ghana News Agency