The first round of voting to elect a presiding member for the KMA has once again ended in a stalemate.

Abraham Boadi also known as Oppoman pulled 69 votes with his closest competitor Michael Adusei gathering 50 votes. One vote was rejected.

Voting begun around 11:30 am amidst heavy security at the TUC Hall in Kumasi on. Tuesday

The third candidate, Obeng Poku, stepped down few minutes to the election leaving out Abraham Boadi and Michael Adusei to lock horns for the sole slot of becoming the next Presiding Member for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.

A total number of 120 assembly members voted in the exercise which lasted for less than one hour. However none of the two candidates secured the two-thirds majority, that is 98 votes, to become the Presiding Member.

After Electoral Commission has announced the results, some of the assembly members called for consensus to allow Abraham Boadi who had 69 votes go unopposed. But others rejected that proposal. Members were therefore asked to do extensive consultations before the next round of election resumes.

The KMA has voted on nine occasions in six meetings within a period of one year but none has produced a Presiding member.

The Ashanti Regional Minister John Alexander Ackon earlier called for a consensus.

“The development of Kumasi is backtracking we must get a presiding member before we leave here…” Mr. Ackon advised.

William Evans-Nkum|TV3|3news.com|Ghana