IEA will accommodate other aspirants if...

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Presidential Debate Committee has said it is ready to accommodate other presidential aspirants who will file their nominations with the Electoral Commission (EC).
The Chairman of the committee, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, the Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast, said though the institute’s policy of dealing with political parties with representation in parliament was in consonance with the IEA policy, it was prepared to take this course to entrench and deepen democratic governance in the country.
Speaking at a press briefing on the preparations towards the debate in Accra yesterday, he named the flag bearers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the People’s National Convention (PNC) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) as the those who will take part in the debate for now.
Tamale would host the first debate in October 15, 2008 while the second debate for the southern sector is scheduled for November 12, 2008 in Accra.
Cardinal Turkson said currently, the committee had secured the consent of all the four aspirants for their participation in the debate.
He said the public and various groups who had expressed their concerns in relation to the presidential aspirants had provided them and had been formulated into questions which the aspirants have been asked to address.
He added that technical and logistical arrangements needed for the success of the debate were progressing steadily.
Cardinal Turkson also appealed to all political parties and their supporters, the EC, the security services and the media to conduct their affairs in a manner conducive to the overall peace and stability of the country.
Other members of the committee include Maulvi Wahab Adam, Ameer and Missionary in-charge of Ahmadiya Muslim Mission, Ghana, Mr William Ampem Darko, Director General of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and Mr Ransford Tetteh, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
The rest are Mr Doris Archampong, Greater Accra Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra (retd), Senior Fellow of the IEA, Dr Rose Mensa-Kutin, Convenor, Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), Mr Kofi Owusu, Director of Programmes, Joy FM and Hajj Showmi Williams, National Co-ordinator, Federation of Muslim Councils.