By Giancarlo Rinaldi South of Scotland reporter, BBC Scotland news website

No administration could be formed in Dumfries and Galloway

It will take Dumfries and Galloway Council a little longer to form its new ruling administration.

A meeting in Dumfries on Tuesday morning was supposed to see the political future of the region agreed.

Instead, with no coalition deal in sight, the decision was deferred for at least another nine days. It was already 12 days since votes were cast.

With no political group gaining an overall majority some kind of compromise was needed.

In the space of 45 minutes - about one half of a football match - it was clear that none would be forthcoming.

Ignore media

Church minister Donald Campbell had started the meeting by asking councillors to ignore media attempts to portray them as inept or self-serving.

Instead, he urged them to remember that they were there to represent the electorate.

Yet any member of the public attending the first meeting of the new authority would have been, at best, bemused.

First the Tory group - the largest on the council - tried to secure the post of leader.

Then SNP councillors claimed there had not been sufficient discussions to allow any such move to take place.

Barely a quarter of an hour had passed before a 15-minute adjournment was called to digest the consequences of this debate.

Councillors will go back to chambers later this month

Members trooped back in to hear Labour claims that the SNP was to blame for the problem due to its failure to sit down and negotiate.

That was followed by more finger-pointing than a fight in a school playground.

As the political groups rushed to berate one another it became obvious that no administration was being formed in a hurry.

A quick check of the council rulebook, however, allowed a new option to emerge.

If a temporary chairman of the meeting was appointed it could immediately be adjourned to another date.

After a vote, the council at last found something it could agree on.

George Prentice - one of just two Independents left on the authority - was nominated to take the chair for his "15 minutes of fame".

In fact, he must have enjoyed less than 120 seconds.

His chairmanship consisted only of continuing the meeting to 24 May.

Fresh approach

It means that it will have taken at least three weeks since the election for Dumfries and Galloway to form an administration.

Much has been made of the number of new councillors - 27 in total - and their opportunity to bring a fresh approach to local politics.

But, in truth, it seemed much the same as any other administration-forming meeting.

Indeed, it brought back memories of the words of a former Dumfries provost at the end of one particularly long debate in council chambers.

"Richt," he said. "That's it agreed then. We dinnae ken whit we're daein'!"