Otabil heads presidential debate committee

An eleven member Presidential Debate Committee chaired by the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church, Rev. Dr. Mensah Otabil was on Wednesday inaugurated in Accra.

The committee is expected to plan and execute three presidential debates ahead of the December Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The debates will be under the auspices of the Institute of Economic Affairs (I.E.A).

Other members of the committee include Jean Mensa, Executive Director of IEA; Prof. Ivan Addae Mensah, Chairman, Petroleum Commission; Prof. Stephen Adei, Former Rector of GIMPA; Kabral Blay Amihere, Chairman of the National Media Commission; Justice Emile Short, Former Commissioner of CHRAJ and Maulvi Wahab Adam, Ameer in-charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana.

The rest are Dr. Rose Mensah-Kutin, Executive Director of ABANTU for Development; Kofi Asamoah, Secretary-General of TUC; Tony Oteng Gyasi, Former President of AGI and Managing Director, Tropical Cables and Conductor Limited and Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.

The Executive Director of I.E.A, Jean Mensa, said the Institute was informed by the need for neutrality in composing the team.

The I.E.A has previously organized presidential debates to afford candidates seeking the highest office of the land an opportunity to explain their campaign policies and manifestoes to the public in an interactive manner.

Three Presidential Debates are expected to be held before December 7 for Presidential Candidates of four major political parties with representation in Parliament namely the NDC, NPP, PNC and the CPP.

Accra, Takoradi and Tamale will host the three debates at yet-to-be announced dates.

The first Presidential Debate in Ghana was held before the 2000 elections with subsequent debates held in 2004 and 2008.

A Senior Fellow of the Institute, Brigadier General (rtd) Francis Agyemfra said this year’s debates will be guided by fairness and transparency.

The Presidential Debates Committee will come up with modalities for the debates likely to be held in September and November.
 Source: Joy Online