Hohoe, Nov. 16, GNA - Mr. Edwin Kamablah, 64, a retired administrator and a government appointee of the Hohoe District Assembly broke the stalemate on Thursday to be elected as its Presiding Member (PM) after two abortive attempts.

He polled 57 of the votes cast out of the 69-members present, constituting 81.4 per cent, after gaining the solitary candidature culminating in the earlier disqualification of two personalities for their inability to attain the two-thirds majority votes of members. Mr. Paul Kotobridja and Mrs Edith Ama Akpoto, both Educationists failed to attain the two-thirds majority votes earlier on Wednesday and last October 31, this year, when the Assembly was summoned to undertake similar exercise, settling on deadlock.

Ms Janet Awo Bakudie, a Magistrate of the Hohoe Magistrate Court, swearing-in the new PM urged the Assembly members to unite and lay bear their expertise towards consolidating and deepening decentralization and good governance necessary for accelerated growth.

She asked them to merit the trust reposed in them by their constituents in electing them and justify that by lobbying for development projects. Mr John Peter Amewu, Hohoe District Chief Executive said the art of doing politics should not override their collective quest for accelerated development and urged members to be steadfast since their development goals lie in their own hands.

He noted that the syndrome of politicising "every positive intent" to development the countryside would only impoverish the people they have collective responsibility to serve and called for decorum on such matters.

Mr. Kamablah thanked members for the trust reposed in him to lead deliberations and called for total support. He pledged to discharge his duties without fear or favour.