Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ACCRA1462
2008-11-14 13:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Accra
Cable title:  

GHANA ELECTIONS: THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

Tags:  GH KDEM PGOV PHUM PINS PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141322Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7253
INFO UEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
UNCLAS ACCRA 001462 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: GH KDEM PGOV PHUM PINS PREL
SUBJECT: GHANA ELECTIONS: THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

UNCLAS ACCRA 001462

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: GH KDEM PGOV PHUM PINS PREL
SUBJECT: GHANA ELECTIONS: THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES


1. SUMMARY. For the first time in its history, Ghana has held
two nationally-televised presidential debates in which the
candidates for both major parties, along with the two minor
parties that currently hold seats in Parliament, came
together to answer questions on the issues facing the
country. By any standard, the debates were an unqualified
success. The candidates stayed on message, presented their
party platforms, showed respect for one another, and
committed their parties to fair and peaceful elections. With
a few notable exceptions, the debates made for ho-hum
political theater, but they served a greater purpose in
reassuring Ghanaian voters that the candidates could
criticize one another in a civil manner and still end up
calling for peace at the end of the day. END SUMMARY.


2. Ghana's Institute of Economic Affairs (with funding from
the British High Commission and the U.S. Center for
International Private Enterprise) organized two presidential
debates, the first in Accra on October 29 and the second in
the northern city of Tamale on November 12. Although eight
candidates are vying for president on the December 7 ballot,
the Institute held the number of debaters down to the four
parties which currently have Parliamentary representatives.
The format for both debates was a formal question and answer
session with each candidate given two minutes to respond in
turn to questions from a pair of moderators from the media
and academia. Questions had been solicited in advance from
members of the general public, professional bodies, and other
associations, and covered such subjects as education,
development, the economy, agriculture, health, foreign
affairs, corruption, and conflict resolution.


3. While the format left little room for actual debate
between the presidential hopefuls, the two major party
candidates -- Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic
Party (NPP) and John Atta-Mills of the National Democratic
Congress (NDC) -- did manage to trade barbs in the first
debate, with Akufo-Addo breaking the rhythm of the Q and A on
several occasions to rebut Atta-Mills' assertions of failed
NPP policies. All four aspirants showed more discipline in
the second debate, although the question of corruption and
declaration of personal assets (including a direct question
from the moderator on how many houses each candidate owned)
elicited more lively exchanges. All of the debaters admitted
that corruption was a problem in Ghana, but Atta-Mills was
more persistant in asserting that it "had gotten worse and
worse with a level of ostentation not seen before."
Akufo-Addo took this as an affront to the Kufuor years, and
just as the debate was coming to a break, he insisted on
being given the opportunity to respond to the accusation. The
moderator held his ground, and said he would have his chance
to respond later. After the break, however, Akufo-Addo
apparently thought better of returning to this topic, and the
subject was dropped.


4. Most impartial observers seemed to think that the
Convention People's Party (CPP) candidate Paa Kwesi Nduom
came out on top in the first debate, making short cogent
arguments and looking directly at the camera in a way that
connected with the audience. He also had the best sound
bites, the most memorable being his riposte to Akufo-Addo's
declaration that the private sector was the engine of growth
for the economy. To great audience delight, Nduom replied it
didn't do much good to have an engine just laying there.
"What I want to add is a body, and four tires, and a steering
wheel, and a competent driver." Edward Mahama of the
People's National Convention (PNC) was considered the weakest
of the four in the first round, while Atta-Mills' answers
seemed competent but uninspired. Akufo-Addo spent much of
the debate looking at the floor and not at the camera as his
answers frequently exceeded his time limit. In the second
debate, however, Nduom did not match his first-round luster,
while the other candidates, especially Akufo-Addo, improved
markedly in both delivery and substance.


5. COMMENT. In the end, the real winner was the Ghanaian
electorate, which witnessed two fine, issues-oriented debates
in which their politicians all turned in credible
performances, joked and chatted with each other during
breaks, and behaved admirably on a national stage with live
radio and television coverage and extensive post-debate
analysis in all news media. As the candidates prepared to
make their closing statements, the moderator asked them to
publicly commit their parties to peaceful elections. Each in
turn did so, but that was not enough for the moderator. He
then asked them to all stand, hold hands, and together urge
their followers to pursue peace. With those clasped hands
and unified words, the debates came to an end.
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