Kade (E/R), March 16, GNA - After twice failing to clench the position of Presiding Member (PM), of the Kwaebibirem District Assembly, during its last session, Mr Kwaku Ofori Abrokwah, has finally made it.

Mr Abrokwah, a Government appointee and District Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management beat Mr Osei Kwadwo, a retired Police Officer, by 62 votes to 24. An elated Mr Abrokwah thanked members for the confidence reposed in him and called for their

co-operation to ensure the success and smooth running of the assembly. Earlier, members had vociferously disagreed on what constituted 30 per cent of government appointees to the assembly. Whereas one group said since the elected membership of the assembly was 60, it was wrong for the government to have presented 27 appointees and described the figure as 93bloated and unacceptable". But the other group saw nothing wrong with the appointments, pointing out that four years ago the Government of President John Agyekum Kufuor appointed 24 members when the elected members were 54. The Member of Parliament for Kade, Mr Ofosu Asamoah, vehemently apposed the number of government appointees and declared it unconstitutional.

However the new District Co-ordinating Director, Mr Peter Nimo and the District Electoral Officer, Mr Gabriel Dei, suggested that the business for the day should proceed while the issue at stake was dealt with later.

The assembly was inaugurated on behalf of President John Evans Atta Mills by Mr Fiifi Fiavi Franklin Kwetey, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. Mr Kwetey warned that any member who would use his or her position to gain contracts or undue favours from the assembly would be committing a serious offence of conflict of interest and would be liable to sanction. 16 March 11