IEA Presidential Debates Committee inaugurated

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Presidential Debates Committee for Ghana’s 2012 Presidential Election, was inaugurated in Accra on Wednesday.

It forms part of the IEA’s efforts to promote issue based and violence free elections.

Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (Rtd), Visiting Senior Fellow, IEA, inaugurating the committee said, despite the jolts in the country’s democratic practice, Ghana had since 1993 become one of the rare models of democracy, with a future for stability and development.

He said as part of IEA’s quest to promote peaceful and violence free election, as well as achieve an issue based campaign, it was organising three Presidential Debates for the Presidential Candidates of Political Parties with representation in Parliament.

Three debates will be organised in Accra, Takoradi and Tamale before the general elections on December 7.

The committee will meet monthly, at least six times, before the debates, scheduled for October and November.

The 11-Member Committee is chaired by Reverend Dr Mensah Otabil, General Overseer of International Central Gospel Church.

Other members are, Mrs Jean Mensa, Executive Director of IEA, Professor Ivan Addae Mensah, Chairman of National Petroleum Commission, Professor Stephen Adei, former Rector, GIMPA and Mr Kabral Blay Amihere, Chairman of National Media Commission.

The rest are Mr Justice Emile Short, former Commissioner of CHRAJ, Maulvi Wahab Adam, Ameer of Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Dr Rose Mensah Kutin, Executive Director of ABANTU and Mr Kofi Asamoah, General Secretary of GTUC, Mr Tony Oteng Gyasi, Managing Director of Tropical Cables and Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.

The committee is an initiative of IEA and sponsored by Star-Ghana and UNICEF.**