General News of Friday, 28 September 2012

Source: radioxyzonline

President Mahama In A U-turn Over IEA Debate

President Mahama will finally take part in this year's presidential debates being organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs.

This is a sharp U-turn from the earlier position of the governing NDC after the party declined the invitation of the Institute of Economic Affairs for an encounter with their presidential candidate.

A statement signed by the Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, Mr Richard Quashiga in August this year stated that the NDC "wishes to reaffirm its decision not to participate in this year’s presidential and vice presidential debate being sponsored by the IEA.

"The NDC government has previously drawn the IEA’s attention to the fact that no sitting president or vice president in the 4th republic has participated in these debates. It is the party’s position to uphold that convention”.

But the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia on Friday confirmed to the media that the party’s Presidential candidate will participate in the debate after a delegation from the IEA led by Professor Esi Sutherland managed to convince the NDC to retreat on their earlier position.