Ahanta West Assembly fails to confirm Kwesi Biney

Agona-Nkwanta (W/R), June 16, GNA - Mr Kwesi Biney, the President's nominee for District Chief Executive for Ahanta West, failed to poll two-thirds of the votes of assembly members for his confirmation. Twenty-two or 50 per cent of the 44 assembly members present voted against his nomination at a meeting at Agona-Nkwanta on Tuesday.

According to the constitution, members of the assembly would have to meet again within the next 10 days to decide the fate of Mr Biney, who had been in office as DCE for the past four years. There was pandemonium as soon as the results of the voting was announced by official of the Electoral Commission when some young men numbering about 20 were seen chasing some members of the assembly around. They accused the assembly members having been influenced to destroy Mr Biney's political career by voting against him.

The young men heckled and threatened to beat them up and the handful security personnel had hectic time restraining them. In the middle of the confusion, Madam Sophia Horner-Sam, Deputy Western Regional Minister had to be whisked away, when the young men moved towards her official vehicle, insulting and accusing her of being part of the problem.

Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, the Regional Minister, had earlier appealed to the Assembly Members to endorse Mr Biney as the President's nominee as DCE for the district. This, he explained was because Mr Biney's administration was among the best in the Western Region in terms of hard work and the provision of infrastructure for sustained development. Mr Aidoo advised them not to allow political discussion on FM radio programmes or any other considerations to influence their voting pattern.