Download PDF - Institute of Economic Affairs Ghana

PREFACE
he Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Ghana, seeks to
promote the consolidation of democracy and good
Tgovernance in Ghana and West Africa. The IEA works at
this through national and sub-regional programmes of advocacy
for democracy in economic and political governance. Over a
period of twenty (20) years, The IEA has initiated far-reaching
processes of multi party democracy in Ghana, and carried out
events of national cohesion and political accommodation and
accountability.
Since the year 2000, The IEA has organised Presidential Election
Debates ahead of each of the nation's Presidential Elections. In
each election year, these debates have provided Presidential
candidates a platform on which to dialogue with each other on the
policies and programmes they believe will best serve the national
interest. The Presidential Election Debates are gradually instilling
an issues-driven approach to presidential campaigns. The debates
offer the electorate the information on the policy direction of each
Presidential candidate's manifesto, with which to make informed
choices. They further serve as a backdrop against which to demand
accountability from their leaders.
The IEA has created yet another platform to enhance the
development of an issues-driven approach to national elections
and the establishment of accountable leadership in Ghana. This is
the Evening Encounter Series, which was initiated in 2008.
The Evening Encounters concept differs from that of the
Presidential Debates, in that while the focus of the Debates is the
interaction between Presidential candidates, the focus of the
Encounters is the interaction between candidates and the
electorate.
The first series of Evening Encounters took place on the following
dates:
th
May 14 , 2008 Evening Encounter with Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, CPP
th
June 18 , 2008 Evening Encounter with Nana Akufo-Addo, NPP
th
June 26 , 2008 Evening Encounter with Prof. J.E.A. Mills, NDC
rd
July 3 , 2008 Evening Encounter with Dr. Edward N. Mahama, PNC
These Encounters offered the four Presidential candidates, whose
political parties had representation in Parliament, an evening each
of interaction with a cross section of interest groups.
Associations and institutions represented in the 2008 Encounters
included The Ghana Medical Association, The Association of
Ghana Industries, The National Union of Ghana Students, The
Ghana Employer's Association, The Trades Union Congress, The
Ghana Federation for the Disabled, The Ghana National
Association of Teachers, The Network for Women’s Rights in
Ghana, The Ghana Union of Traders Association and The
Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana.
It is our firm belief and optimism that with your collaboration, the
Evening Encounters will indeed serve the purpose for which they
have been initiated. We count on you, the electorate, presidential
aspirants, political parties, policy-makers and civil society, to play
the role that only you can, which is to follow, participate in and
thus, strengthen each step in the process of democratisation of our
dear nation.
The following provides a transcript of events at the Evening
Encounter with Dr. Edward Mahama.
We hope you find this publication useful.
Thank you.
Jean Mensa
Executive Director