Kofi Adams is ignorant - IEA BOSS

The Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Jean Mensah has lashed at the National Organiser of ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Kofi Adams for making what she described as unfortunate comments about IEA.

Kofi Adams accused IEA of behaving as if it is headmasters who just get up and orders his student to do what pleases him.

His comments came barely 24 hours after the Institute announced it plans to hold the debate scheduled tentatively for September.

Kofi Adams indicated that President John Mahama may not participate in this year’s debate, an election year tradition since 2000.

According to him, the party was not consulted before the IEA announced its plans.

“IEA cannot just announce a programme it has not engaged the party on. We are surprised… So if the party has their own programme, how are you going to organize it”?

However, reacting to the issue, Madam Jean Mensah argued that Kofi Adams concerns over proper consultations are not well-informed.

She said Kofi Adams has not been part of the IEA’s engagement with the NDC otherwise he would have known that announcing proposals often precede the engagement with the parties

“We launch our election year program and thereafter, we write to them and start engaging. This is how we have operated all these years”, she said.

Allaying Kofi Adams’ fears, the Executive Secretary said the IEA dates for the debates are flexible and amendable to change to suit the programmes of political parties involved.

According to her, the IEA has demonstrated, it is very flexible and often takes into accounts the convenience and proposals of the political parties.

The IEA expects that even the September date could change after engaging the parties.

In the 2012 elections, for instance, she said the Institute had to change the dates for the Presidential Debate because the President had decided to participate.

His predecessor, President John Atta Mills had indicated he would not participate in the debate. The IEA, therefore, planned without the NDC but when President Mills died and his successor, John Mahama indicated a willingness to participate, amendments had to be made to accommodate him, she stressed.

“So nothing is cast in stone and the parties know that this is how we have worked” she explained.

Picking up the PPP’s list of apprehensions, Jean Mensah acknowledged that while a debate must bring out all presidential viewpoints, it is not realistic to have every presidential candidate on the same stage.

“If you have 50 parties how do you organize a debate for them?” She asked. Ghana has 24 political parties.

“I share some of [Dr. Nduom’s] views, but I also believe that we have the right to set a criteria”, Jean Mensah defended.

However, to ensure equal opportunity to present ideas, the IEA says it has plans to organize 30-minute speak-to-the-nation sessions where each presidential candidate will share his vision live on national television and take questions.

It will be in the evenings, she revealed.

She stressed that the Institute is committed to hold a third debate for only the two main political rivals because, according to its research, there is “overwhelming” evidence that this is a debate the public is clamouring for.

Story by: Michael Creg Afful

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