The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has implored political parties and Ghanaians not to allow the long-drawn controversies of the planned Presidential debate to cloud the ideals of the programme.

Such ideals the commission mentioned included, “Promoting issues-based elections, educating the public on the respective policy positions of the aspirants, calming down political tension, ensuring citizen participation in the governance process; and promoting political accountability by empowering the electorate to hold leaders to promises made on debate platforms.”

The IEA further urged all presidential aspirants to take full advantage of the debate platform to dialogue with the citizenry.

However, the NDC yesterday boycotted the IEA’s meeting intended to set the modalities for the Presidential debate.

Reports gathered suggested that the party feels slighted by the comment made by the Executive Director of the governance think-tank, Jean Mensah against the NDC’s National Organiser, Kofi Adams, hence the decision.

The IEA has also refuted allegations that it is discriminating against some certified political parties vis a vis its two-man encounter debate, insisting that “we have been magnanimous.”

“Some think we are being discriminatory at them. In the first place, we are working with parties with representation in parliament, and you will find that we will have a party that will have more than a hundred seats being on the same platform with parties that have one seat. I think that we’ve been magnanimous,” Executive Director of the think-tank said in a statement issued after its meeting with parties yesterday.