The Mahama 2024 Campaign has questioned the recent proclamation made by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Ghana concerning a presidential debate for the 2024 elections. Mr. Mahama’s team deems it wholly unacceptable that the IEA would issue such a declaration without involving or notifying the National Democratic Congress, a prominent political party in Ghana.
The IEA has disclosed its intentions to orchestrate Presidential and Vice-Presidential Debates in the run-up to Ghana’s 2024 General Elections. In a statement, they declared, “As part of The IEA’s endeavors to champion issues-based elections in Ghana, the Institute will once again convene a Presidential and Vice-Presidential Debates prior to the 2024 elections.”
“The Debates will provide a common platform for the Presidential Candidates and Vice- Presidential Candidates to discuss various aspects of the nation’s development process. It will be a form of policy dialogue engagement during which the Candidates will have the opportunity to present their viewpoints, plans and programmes, and also point out weaknesses in the policies of their co-contestants and present alternatives to those policies and programmes.
“The Electorate on the other hand, will receive firsthand information on the programmes and plans of each candidate. Our moderators will pose questions to the Candidates based on submissions received from the public on various thematic areas including the Economy, Governance, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Education, Health, Labour, Gender, Children, Youth, and other Social Issues. The timelines for the Debates will be announced at the launch of IEA’s Election Activities. The Institute encourages all Candidates to take advantage of the Debates to inform Ghanaians of their policies to address the country’s challenges.”
But John Mahama’s team said “The Constitution of Ghana does not grant the IEA any authority to organise elections-related activities. The fact that the IEA has not shown the decency or respect to at least inform the NDC of its plans raises serious questions about its motives,” a statement issued by spokesperson of Mr Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogari said.
They further accused the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) of functioning as a proxy for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and attempting to manipulate the electoral process in favor of the incumbent party.
“It is important to remind the IEA and the Ghanaian public that the NDC, led by our presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama and running mate Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, has been engaging with the citizenry for many years. Mahama’s online and offline conversations have targeted a wide range of audiences and focused on addressing the needs and concerns of the people of Ghana.
“Our well-planned engagements with various sectors of society across the country have been and continue to be extremely beneficial to the people of Ghana. This being the case, we caution the IEA against using the NDC’s name to promote their activities, as this is a blatant attempt to misrepresent our party deliberately.
“Ghanaians should remain assured that the NDC’s commitment to meaningful and respectful engagement with the people of Ghana is unwavering. We will continue to ensure that all Ghanaians’ voices are heard and their needs are addressed.”
