By: Gloria Amoh
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has scheduled debates for selected presidential candidates and their running mates in October and November, ahead of the December 7 elections. The former Chief Justice Sophia Akufo, who is also an esteemed fellow at the IEA, emphasized that the debates are designed to assess the credibility and competence of the candidates, helping voters make informed decisions at the polls.
Speaking at the launch of the Institute’s 2024 Election Activities in Accra on August 7, 2024 she explained that since 2000, the IEA has been organizing presidential debates for candidates from various political parties aspiring to lead the nation. This year’s debates will provide a platform for selected candidates to present their visions for the country.
According to her, the debates will be held separately for presidential candidates and their running mates, focusing on key sectors such as the economy, governance, infrastructure, education, health, and energy. Sophia Akufo expressed her confidence that the debates will offer a unique opportunity for candidates to thoroughly explain their policies while highlighting their credibility and competence.
She stated, “As we address our challenges, we require vision, courage, and wisdom to shape our collective future. This underscores the importance of a debate in drawing out the vision, competence, credibility, and capacity of candidates in tackling our national challenges.”
The debates, she noted, will enable voters to make informed choices when they cast their ballots.
Dr. Kwakye also stated that, despite the importance of these debates, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has indicated that it may not participate in the IEA’s event. However, Dr. John Kwakye, Director of Research at the IEA, mentioned that discussions with the NDC are ongoing.
Dr. Kwakye clarified that the NDC’s concerns stemmed from the timing of the IEA’s announcement, which coincided with a similar request made by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate. He emphasized that this was purely coincidental and not an indication of bias. “We have issued a statement denying any alignment with the NPP, and we continue to engage with the NDC in the hope that they will join the debate,” he added.
In total, two presidential debates will take place in Kumasi and Accra in October and November. Additionally, evening encounters with individual presidential candidates have been scheduled for September.
A presidential debate committee is also being formed to establish the ground rules that will govern these debates and encounters.
