The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has asserted that a debate must precede the 2024 elections, involving key political parties intending to contest. The IEA emphasizes that such debates are essential for voters to assess both presidential and vice-presidential candidates, thereby facilitating informed decision-making.
This call for debate comes amid apparent disagreements between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) regarding the necessity of holding debates.
In an interview with Citi News, Professor Alexander Bilson Darku, a senior fellow at the IEA, revealed that discussions have begun with various political parties to organize a debate before December 7. “Let me make this very clear from the beginning. The need for debate is the right of the people. The people of Ghana ought to know what their presidential candidate, and for that matter, the party they represent, have in stock for them,” he said. He added that the IEA is in the early stages of dialogue with political parties. “We have our timetable and very soon it will be known to the public as to the programme that the IEA has outlined to make this all-important presidential debate come on. I don’t think we should go into the specifics, but I am telling you we will have it at a very good time that would be beneficial to the parties involved and the timing that would be beneficial for the nation.”
Professor Darku further mentioned that the participating parties and their candidates will be streamlined. “We are using the Afrobarometer criteria. It has established a threshold, and we will use that threshold to invite the parties that meet the threshold to participate in the debate. This might be four or five parties, and their presidential candidates and vice presidential candidates will be invited to participate in the debate.”
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