We won’t favour any candidate – IEA’s Presidential Debates Committee

The Presidential Debates Committee of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has assured that it will not favour any presidential candidate in the Institute's 2024 presidential debates and encounters in the run-up to the December 7 polls.The nine-member committee, chaired by Justice Sophia Akuffo, former Chief Justice and Distinguished Fellow at the IEA, was inaugurated by the Institute on Thursday to govern and set the modalities for the presidential debates and encounters.Other members of the Committee are; Most Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, Presiding Bishop, Methodist Church of Ghana; Dr Abubakar Mohammed Marzuq Azindoo, Personal Assistant to the National Chief Imam; Dr Humphrey Ayim-Darke, President, Association of Ghana Industries, and Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President, Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference.The rest are; Mr Salem Kifah Kalmoni, Managing Director of Japan Motors; Dr Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, Director of Research and Policy, Trades Union Congress; Rev. Dr Lawrence Tetteh, Founding President of the Worldwide Miracle Outreach, and Rt. Rev. Dr Daniel Sylvanus Mensah Torto, Diocesan Bishop, the Anglican Diocese of Accra.The IEA recently announced that it would organise two Presidential Debates for selected flagbearers later 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.The Presidential Debates Committee has been tasked to set the modalities to govern the debates and presidential encounters among other functions to make the exercise credible and successful.The Committee has the mandate to select the presidential candidates to participate in the debates; select and approve questions for the debate, shortlist moderators for approval by campaign teams of the political parties, and review and approve the formats for the conduct of the debates and encounters.Justice Akuffo said the debate would 'provide a platform for presidential candidates to outline their policies and visio n of governance for the country.''It will help citizens make informed decisions at the election, promote an issue-based campaign devoid of personal attacks and rancour, and promote peace before, during and after the elections.'Justice Akuffo stressed the debates would not favour any presidential candidates and indicated that the Committee 'is extremely credible' and would ensure that the modalities for the debates and encounters met the objective of assisting the electorate to make informed choices.Dr. John Kwabena Kwakye, Director of Research, IEA, said the Institute would announce the actual dates for the presidential debates and the encounters in the coming weeks.'We are engaging the candidates based on the criteria to be set by the Committee,' he said.Source: Ghana News Agency