The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has requested the public, civil society organizations, associations, public institutions and private sector institutions to submit questions for the upcoming presidential and vice-presidential debates aimed at promoting issues-based elections.
A statement issued by the IEA dated September 5, 2024, said the questions should be submitted to the IEA Presidential Debates Committee via email: iea@ieagh.org or by hand to No. 28 Independence Avenue, Ridge.
It said the deadline for the submission of questions was Friday, September 13, 2024.
Thematic areas
The statement said the debates would focus on questions received on the various thematic areas such as economic management, national development, energy security, natural resource management, agriculture, private sector development, governance, social sector, environmental security, leadership, judicial system and foreign policy.
Specifically, the IEA is seeking questions on public financial management, debt management, economic growth, energy generation, food security, investor climate, industrialisation, job creation, technology transfer, cost of doing business, corruption, education, health care, water and sanitation, housing, youth and sports, gender inequalities, climate change, disaster management, national consciousness, cultural norms and values, political leadership, legal aid and regional integration.
“The real concerns of citizens would be addressed by candidates,” IEA assured.
“The debates will provide a platform for candidates to present their viewpoints and plans and for the electorate to make informed choices,” it said.
This approach, the IEA said, would allow citizens to take ownership of the electoral process and demand accountability from candidates.
Debates
It said two Presidential debates and one Vice-Presidential debate would be held before the general election in December 2024 with the first Presidential debate in Accra on October 22, 2024; the Vice-Presidential debate in Accra on November 5, 2024; and the second Presidential debate in Kumasi on November 19, 2024.
The IEA 2024 Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates would provide a common platform for the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates to answer questions on various aspects of the nation’s development process.
The debates, it said, would take the form of a policy dialogue engagement at which the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates would present their viewpoints, plans and programmes, and also point out weaknesses in the policies of co-contestants and present alternatives to those policies and programmes.
It said the electorate, on the other hand, would receive firsthand information on the policies and programmes of each candidate, adding that would enable them to make an informed choice on election day.