EDITORIAL: NPP Has Nothing To Gain

In recent times, there has been calls a section of the public for a public debate between the various presidential elections. According to the proponents of the debate, it should be conducted along the lines of American presidential debates and televised and broadcasted live.

Even though in theory, the debate would be among all the presidential candidates, in reality what people would be expected would be a debate between President Kufuor, who is seeking re-election on the NPP ticket and former vice president and NDC presidential candidate, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills. But is such a debate really necessary? We of the Free Press are of the opinion that such a debate is unnecessary and would only provide a platform for the leveling of baseless allegations against the President and his party.

In the first place, we believe that action speaks louder than words and it would be easier for people to compare what Mills and Kufuor achieved whilst in office.

Prof. Mills was the vice president from 1997-2000 and his achievement should tell his story, likewise Kufuor has also been President for the past four years and should be judged by his achievements. There is however a second and more serious reason why President Kufuor and the NPP should not agree to a public debate. Since the launch of the NDC campaign at Cape Coast a few weeks ago, Prof. Mills rhetoric has changed completely from a focus on issues to a campaign of abuses and the leveling of wild allegations against President Kufuor.

In this wise, Mills has been parroting the raving and rantings of his political godfather Rawlings and is even now on doing him. On his recent tour of the Ashanti region, Prof. Mills who had repeatedly stated that he would not indulge in insults during his campaign but focus on issues has abandoned this honourable idea and started a mudslinging campaign against the President.

A public debate between Prof. Mills and President Kufuor would only give Mills the platform to repeat these wild allegations and insults on air live and would only serve to increase the political tension which the NDC is striving to achieve.