Persons seeking political office should agree to debate or be punished – Okudzeto Ablakwa

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has called on political office seekers running away from debates to have a change of mind or better still be punished at the polls by the electorate.

According to the NDC Member of Parliament, “like many others including our Flagbearer John Mahama, I take the view that it detracts from our widely acclaimed democratic credentials to go into such a major election without offering the people an opportunity to transparently assess policy viability, choice clarity, track record and temperament as only face-to-face debates can offer.”

He has therefore announced his willingness and readiness to sponsor a Parliamentary Debate before the December 7, 2020 election in the North Tongu Constituency.

“I have spoken with the North Tongu District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) indicating my willingness and readiness to sponsor a Parliamentary Debate before the December 7, 2020 election. The Director’s response has been most impressive.

I am hoping my parliamentary opponents whom I consider good brothers from the NPP and GUM will agree to participate in the North Tongu Parliamentary Debate under any terms and rules they deem appropriate.”

Ahead of the December general elections, the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, has on several occasions reiterated his commitment to participating in a debate with his main opponent, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party.

The President however citing prior commitments has turned down the closest possibility of such a debate which was being organized by policy think tank, IMANI Africa.

Read below the full statement by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa:

I have spoken with the North Tongu District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) indicating my willingness and readiness to sponsor a Parliamentary Debate before the December 7, 2020 election. The Director’s response has been most impressive.

I am hoping my parliamentary opponents whom I consider good brothers from the NPP and GUM will agree to participate in the North Tongu Parliamentary Debate under any terms and rules they deem appropriate.

Like many others including our Flagbearer John Mahama, I take the view that it detracts from our widely acclaimed democratic credentials to go into such a major election without offering the people an opportunity to transparently assess policy viability, choice clarity, track record and temperament as only face-to-face debates can offer.

Hoping my gesture will help make a parliamentary debate in my beloved constituency materialize even as it is my expectation that all political office seekers running away from debates have a change of mind or better still be punished at the polls by the electorate as it happens in other jurisdictions so that moving forward, a culture of true democratic accountability where politicians will have no choice but to present themselves for scrutiny would be entrenched.