Candidates boycott Bortianor Ngleshie parliamentary debate

Mr E. K Demordzi, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro Constituency stood alone on Saturday as other participants boycotted a scheduled parliamentary debate.

The debate, organised by the Ga South Municipal Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), was to educate the electorate on the policies of the five parliamentary candidates in the constituency.

Explaining the non-participation of the four parliamentary candidates, Mr Ben Tetteh, the Ga South NCCE Municipal Director, later in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the Commission had prior to the event held an interparty dialogue meeting where all the candidates agreed to participate in the debate.

The Commission, he said, had also officially sent invitation letters to them formally inviting them for the event and with the exception of the Convention People’s Party, whose candidate said there was a manifesto launch on the same day and could not make it for that matter; the other parliamentary contestants agreed to participate”.

He said the New Patriotic Party candidate called shortly before the event was to start to inform them that he could not attend the event.

The candidates of the DPP and PPP, he said, failed to show up without any notice.

The Director expressed disappointment on the turn of event saying the presence of the candidates would have made the event more exciting and a success.

Mr Ben Tetteh, however, said the absence of the candidates did not totally ruin the event as the NDC candidate answered prudent questions that were of interest to the constituents.

“The moderators asked questions that touched on socio-economic and political issues which were of public relevance” he said.

The questions centered on education, employment, agriculture, health and security.

Mr Demordzi expressed unhappiness at the turn of events saying ”the constituents wanted to know who had an in-depth understanding of national issues and the problems facing them”.

The NDC Member of Parliament said there is the need to break down the policies captured in the party’s manifesto for his constituents to appreciate the goals of the party when given the mandate.

The debate assembled many stakeholders, chiefs and more than five hundred constituents including party supporters.