[ 2012-07-20 ]

Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom

Presidential debate without PPP is a flop -Nduom
The flag-bearer of the Progressive People’s Party
(PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom has pooh - poohed the
ongoing Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)
Presidential debate describing it as a flop
without him.

The PPP leader indicated that IEA’s decision to
exclude political parties who have no
representation in Parliament from participating in
the debate, calls its [IEA] commitment to
strengthening the country's multi-party democracy
into question.

Dr. Nduom’s comment is on the back of several
protests raised by some aggrieved minority
political parties in the country - some of whom
have threatened to seek legal redress for their
exclusion.

The minority political parties who have expressed
grave concerns about the IEA’s criteria argued
that they were all registered and qualified
political parties approved by the Electoral
Commission (EC) hence should be given equal
opportunities.

But the IEA has maintained its decision to engage
only the presidential candidates of the National
Democratic Congress, New Patriotic Party (NPP),
Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and the People
National Convention (PNC) in the 2012 pre-election
debate series.

The ruling NDC party however pulled out stating
reasons that, as a convention, no sitting
president had ever taken part in such events.

The presidential candidates for the PNC and CPP
have taken their turn and the NPP candidate is
expected next month.

However, Dr. Nduom on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen
programme Thursday said IEA’s presidential debate
without Adwumawura will lack fresh ideas, good
comparison and good information.

According to him, the NPP, CPP and PNC have
nothing new to offer but just a re-cycle of their
old policies and programmes which he said will not
inure to the benefit of Ghanaians.

Dr. Nduom stated that IEA’s decision to debar
political parties with no representation in
Parliament from the presidential debate is in
contravention of the Constitution.

He said there is nothing in the Constitution and
the political party’s law that debar political
parties without representation in Parliament from
participating in a presidential debate.

Dr. Nduom believes the ‘lazy’ work of the civil
society group has the tendency to lower the
development of Ghana’s democracy.

Source - MyjoyOnline

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