The District Chief Executive for Talensi, Thomas Duanab Wuni Pearson, is concerned about the excessive politicization of district assembly issues. His concerns come after the Talensi District Assembly, along with many other assemblies in the Upper East Region, failed to elect presiding members.
The failure to elect presiding members has largely been attributed to partisanship within the ranks of assembly members.
When Mr. Wuni Pearson spoke to Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show, he said, “it was the overly partisan nature of our politics. I think also that there was no broad consultation among those who are leaders of both parties.”
“If you have a party secretary of the constituency secretaries of both houses winning elections as assembly members and are in the house, and then you have appointments that have largely moved into partisan considerations, it is normal that we may not be going to the elections with party colors, but clearly, we know.”
The situation now, according to the DCE, is not any different from previous attempts to get a presiding member.
“Yes, the assembly took time until around October 2021 before we got a compromised sort of thing. The NDC chairman, at the time, was not chairman but became PM. I think there was a compromise.”
Mr. Wuni Pearson said election of presiding members should be based on a simple majority. This he said would be a lot easier than the current two-thirds that is expected of the winner.
Meanwhile, the Builsa South District Assembly encountered a setback in its proceedings as it failed to designate a presiding member subsequent to the induction of new assembly members.
Both candidates, John Peter Apaabey and John Asuaga, fell short of obtaining the required two-thirds majority of the total votes cast. In the initial round of voting, former Presiding Member John Peter Apaabey secured 18 votes, while John Asuaga received 12 votes.
Despite extensive deliberations and a subsequent round of voting, the outcome remained unchanged, leaving the assembly in a state of gridlock.
Others like the Bawku Municipal Assembly, Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, Tempane District Assembly, Pusiga District Assembly and Bolga East Municipal Assembly failed to election presiding members.
Source: A1Radioonline.com101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
