Presidential Debate Flops

The second round of a live radio and television presidential debate in Ghana nearly ended in a disaster after four of the seven candidates pulled out of the event.

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), which was to transmit the debate nationwide declined to relay it live saying its audience would not be interested.

Front runners John Kufuor, of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), and Vice President John Atta Mills, of National Democratic Congress (NDC), snubbed the debate.

The Wednesday night debate - the second in a series organised by the Accra based Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) - was attended by three candidates considered to be from smaller parties.

Campaigning schedule

The vice president who skipped the first round held in September said he had pulled out because Mr Kufuor - his main opponent - had decided not to turn up for the Wednesday night show.

"Kufuor is running away from the vice-president because he can't match him and that's why he's pretending to be busy," said George Quayor-Mettle, the ruling party's spokesman.

Mr Kufuor's campaign manager, Obetsebi-Lamptey however criticised the vice president for failing to turn up saying "this shows that the NDC's back is against the wall."

Mr Kufuor's campaign team complained that the timing of the second debate was not convenient given that elections are barely a week away and that their candidate needed to concentrate on wooing voters rather than engaging in policy debates.

Dr George Hagan of the Convention People's Party (CPP) failed to show up citing a busy campaign schedule.

People's National Convention, PNP's Dr Edward Mahama boycotted the show accusing its organisers of failing to fulfill their pledge to bring a full line-up of candidates and to transmit the debate live on both radio and tv.

The Wednesday show was down to Goozie Tanoh of the National Reform Party (NRP), Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby of the United Ghana Movement (UGM) and Dan Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party, (GCPP).

The three had also threatened to follow suit and abandon the show but were prevailed upon.

They criticised the absentee candidates with Mr Wereko-Brobby asking: "How can you expect to lead this country if you don't want to present yourself to be asked questions about how you propose to lead the people?"

"These people should lose your votes right away; they don't deserve your votes," said Mr Lartey whose candidacy is threatened by an Electoral Commission investigation into charges that some of his guarantors do not exist.

Despite the best efforts of "the three wise men", to salvage the event, its essence was lost.

And even if they had spotted a star to the east of the hall, it would still have failed to bring the debate to life.