IEA is flexible, takes into account convenience, proposals — Jean Mensah

The Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Mrs Jean Mensah, has said the IEA is very flexible and often takes into account the convenience and proposals of the political parties.

In the 2012 election, for instance, she said, the institute had to change the dates for the Presidential Debate because the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had decided to participate in it. His predecessor, Prof. John Evans 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.

She was reacting to accusations by various political parties that the institute failed to do proper consultation before announcing its election activities for the year.

The IEA, at a forum last Tuesday to unveil its activities for the election this year, revealed a proposal to hold a separate debate for the front-runners – the NDC’s John Dramani Mahama and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) Nana Akufo-Addo – in the elections.

Barely 24 hours after the announcement, some political parties have indicated they may not participate in the debate.

IEA surprised

But Mrs Mensah expressed surprise at reactions to the launch of the think tank’s election activities.

She said she thought Ghana’s democracy had matured and that the political actors would be more accommodating.

The IEA’s Executive Director said the institute did nothing wrong or new.

Mrs Jean Mensah explained that the IEA had always launched its election activities before engaging the parties.