The Ghanaian Journal

AT 7pm today, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, will face a three-pronged attack, albeit tempered by the presence of two moderators and national television, at the first of the Institute of Economic Affairs-organised Presidential Debates for the 2008 elections.

The debate, to be held at the Kofi Annan ICT Centre in Accra, is expected to produce a spirited attack from the NDC’s John Evans Atta Mills, CPP’s Paa Kwesi Nduom and PNC’s Edward Mahama on the policies and programmes of the almost eight-year old Kufuor administration on which the NPP’s Akufo-Addo is campaigning. It is under the theme, “Strengthening the Pillars of Ghana’s Democracy.”

The four men will answer at least three questions each on the economy and social policy per round.

As per the results of an earlier ballot, Nana Akufo-Addo will answer the first question, to be followed by Paa Kwesi Nduom, John Atta Mills and Edward Mahama.

The same question will be posed to all the candidates, who have two minutes each to answer and one minute to answer a follow-up question.

According to the IEA, Dr Nduom will answer the next set of questions first, with Prof Mills leading off in the next set while Dr Mahama leads in the last set.

There will be no opening statements, but each candidate will have three minutes to make a direct appeal to the electorate at the end. Rebuttals are allowed at the discretion of moderators.

Perhaps in a concession to aging feet, candidates will sit but are allowed to stand to answer questions.

The debate will be moderated by veteran journalist Cyril Acolatse and Professor Kwame Karikari.

The men gunning to occupy the yet-to-be-completed Presidential Complex at Flagstaff House in the two and a half hour programme will be expected to showcase their intellectual, managerial and most importantly, leadership abilities.

All of Nana Akufo-Addo’s opponents are strong debaters: Paa Kwesi Nduom is a former Minister for Energy, Regional Cooperation and Public Sector Reform, and sitting MP for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem; John Evans Atta Mills is a former Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, former law lecturer, Vice President under Jerry John Rawlings, and NDC presidential candidate since 2000; Edward Nasigre Mahama is a medical doctor and presidential candidate of the PNC since 1996.

Simply put, every body, apart from the incumbent party’s flagbearer, is free to shoot at the policies of the Kufuor administration without being subject to the same kind of scrutiny as the man in the spotlight.

And even though a sort of compromise has been reached, involving the right to rebuttal, Nana Akufo-Addo may be reduced to refuting the charges laid against his party without having the time to do a proper comparison of policies.

The flagbearers will be expected to provide details on their economic policies, especially on the costing of the various interventions outlined in their manifestos, as well as specifics on national development, The Statesman understands.

There are also indications that they will be quizzed on security issues in the run-up to, and after, December’s elections, as well as Ghana’s relations with the rest of the world, especially in this age of globalisation and increasing awareness that the world is a small village.

This open season on the NPP has been met with mixed feelings within the party, The Statesman has learnt.

While some members have expressed misgivings about the format of the debate, others see it as an opportunity to show up the rest of the flagbearers for what they really are, “men who can only attack the people who have made the bold decision to try and move Ghana forward, but offer no viable alternative to the policies being implemented now to make Ghana a better place,” Joseph M Adarkwah, a political analyst told this paper.

“These men say Ghana is being sent in the wrong direction, but turn around to say they will ‘review’ the very policies they say are bad for the nation”, he added.

The first of the two part presidential debates, for northern and southern Ghana, was originally slated for Tamale but was shifted to Accra after a careful consideration of the campaign schedules of the candidates.

The northern sector debate, which is still slated for Tamale, is expected to take place on November 12.

This debate, to be moderated by Professor Ivan Addae-Mensa and Israel Laryea, will also be telecast live on GTV and all other TV and radio networks nationwide.

The debate is being organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs with support from the British High Commission and UNDP as part of efforts to meaningfully contribute to the consolidation of multiparty democracy in Ghana.