DEBATE USEFUL EXPERIMENT, BUT (OCTOBER 31, 2008)

GHANA chalked up another milestone in her progressive stride to consolidate her democratic credentials with the first of two presidential debates taking place last Wednesday in an atmosphere devoid of rancour.
The presidential debates, designed to help strengthen the pillars of democracy in the country and make Election 2008 issue driven, form part of the national commitment towards strengthening multiparty democracy not only in the country but across the continent.
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), which made it possible for the first debate to take place in Accra in a peaceful environment, should be commended for a good job done.
The presidential candidates of the New Patriotic Party, Convention People’s Party, National Democratic Congress and People’s National Congress had the opportunity to answer the same questions on job creation, education, health, security, law and order, oil revenue, energy, women and children's rights, foreign direct investment, food security and intra-regional trade.
Some political analysts who attended the first round of the debate have, however, described the exercise as more of a question-and-answer session than a debate. They were of the view that in a debate the candidates should have had the chance to challenge each other's positions instead of answering questions from the moderators, with very little rebuttals. The moderators took turns and asked a total of 11 major questions and seven minor questions.
Considering time constraints, wouldn’t it have been better with a few strategic set of questions to allow the candidates enough time to answer the questions and back their claims with concrete steps, showing how they were going to execute their promises?
The moderators should have also done research on the subject areas to make sure that claims made by the candidates are really the facts on the ground.
Otherwise, the exercise is reduced to a mere question-and-answer session thereby showcasing the communicators among them as winners but without the substance required for the high office of President.
If the debates are to help the larger Ghanaian society make informed choices then candidates should not be allowed to make claims that the national economy can hardly support.
For instance, do the candidates know the capacity of the agricultural potential of the country and what it would take to move away from the use of the machete and hoe to mechanised farming?
Forty per cent of the national budget is spent on education. The question one may ask is, how are the candidates going to fund the extra free facility they are pledging to offer. Will it be from taxes from the already over-burdened Ghanaian worker or from luxury goods?
These and many more critical issues need to be known to elicit answers for the benefit of the electorate who will make the critical decision on December 7.
It is the hope of the DAILY GRAPHIC that the next debate in Tamale will take into consideration all the concerns raised so as to bring out the best in all the candidates.