Keta, June 3, GNA - Several rounds of voting on two separate days to elect a new Presiding Member for the Keta District Assembly has ended in a complete deadlock, compelling the members of the House to disqualify the contesting candidates and declaring the position still vacant.

When the House met for the first time in early May, the Assembly Member for Anloga-Lagbati, Mr Prosper Afealetey contested the position against the incumbent, Sqn.-Ldr. A.A. Segbefia, who had held the seat for two terms, but after casting the votes three times in succession all ended in stalemate.

The House then adjourned for another two weeks to enable the candidates consult with their colleagues and lobby for support before meeting in the next encounter.

When the House met for the second time last Friday in a crucial decider, the general consensus was that the incumbent who had had the upper hand in the first encounter, would carry the day but again, there was still no winner after two rounds of voting.

Consequently, the ballots were called off and according to the standing order of the Assembly the position was declared open for other interested members to try their lot.

Following this stalemate, the Assembly-member for Tsiame Electoral Area, Mr Pascal Didibla and Mr S. Dotse of Aborlorve-Nolopi Electoral Area locked horns in another fierce encounter but voting twice in succession could not break the deadlock.

After reaching this stalemate for the seventh time, rumours went round that the House was divided on party lines causing some rival factions within the House to take entrenched positions in order to delay the election of a substantive PM.

Meanwhile, despite the uncooperative attitude of some members of the Assembly, business was still going on but at a snail pace and the former PM is acting to ensure that the whole Assembly was not dissolved.