Juaso (Ash), Nov. 29, GNA -- Sixty-out of 95 units in the Asante-Akim South district were not contested in the last district level elections held in September this year.

Also, most of the 35 which were contested did not have the full complement of 10 candidates required by law to form unit committees. This has left more than half of the 42 electoral areas without unit committees, a situation bemoaned by the assembly members as a major challenge to their quest to spearhead development in their respective electoral areas.

The members appealed to the assembly to allow them to form committees with people in their localities who had volunteered. They argued that since people were willing to offer themselves, there was the need to engage their services as an interim measure to complement efforts to develop their electoral areas.

However, Dr Lord Justice Gyamfi-Fenteng, the District Chief Executive, rejected the proposal by the assembly members, saying it had no legal backing.

He said until the assembly receives directives from the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment on the issue it would be unconstitutional to form unit committees whose members are not elected.

On areas where people filed their nomination but could not make up to the required 10, the DCE said the assembly, in collaboration with traditional rulers, would appoint additional five people to give them the mandate to work.

He, however, warned that until such measures were put in place the assembly would not recognise any such committee without its approval.