IEA presidential debates scheduled for October and November 2024

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) says it will organise two presidential debates for selected flagbearers in October and November this year.

The debates, to be held in Kumasi and Accra, will be preceded by “Presidential Evening Encounters” scheduled for September.

At a press briefing on Wednesday (7 August 2024), the IEA said the “Pre-Election Debate Series” will include one vice-presidential debate in Accra for selected candidates.

The exact dates, times and venues for the events, it said, would be made public after “conducting engagements with candidates and their political parties”.

Justice Sophia Akuffo (rtd), distinguished fellow of the IEA, said the debate would “provide a platform for presidential candidates to outline their policies and vision of governance for the country”.

“It will help citizens make informed decisions at the election, promote an issues-based campaign devoid of personal attacks and rancour, and promote peace before, during and after the elections,” she noted.

“While answering questions pooled from the entire country, the presidential candidates will have the opportunity to point out the weakness in the policies and programmes of their opponents.

“The vice-presidential debates are important because, as our constitution mandates, the vice-president assumes the role of the president when the latter cannot perform the functions of that office. Vice-presidential aspirants, therefore, have to demonstrate adequate presidential qualities, skills and competence,” she added, speaking on behalf of the IEA.

Commending Ghana’s 32-year Fourth Republican democracy, Akuffo emphasised that the
debate would help elicit “the vision, competence, credibility, and capacity of candidates in addressing national challenges”.

“Ghana’s development challenges are well known but while we tackle our challenges, we need vision, and wisdom to shape our common future. It’ll require difficult decisions and a collective effort but all these will be influenced by the quality of leadership and policy direction of this country,” she said.

The presidential debates, according to the IEA, will require candidates to “respond to anonymous questions from anonymous Ghanaians”.

The Evening Encounters, on the other hand, will take a “town hall” format and require candidates to “respond directly to questions fielded in-person by representatives of key stakeholder groups”.

The IEA said a Presidential Debates Committee was being constituted “to determine the ground rules to govern the debates and evening encounters, and also solicit questions from Ghanaians”.

The IEA debunked the notion that it was doing the bidding of any political party, stressing that it “will continue to provide a neutral platform for healthy contest of ideas”.

Eligible candidates have been encouraged to take part in the debate and the evening encounters.

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