The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that it owes no apology to the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) for rescinding its earlier decision not to partake in the institute�s Presidential Evening Encounter.
The NDC made a u-turn to take part in the debate saying, its Presidential candidate was now prepared to participate in the presidential evening encounters and subsequent debate.
The opposition NPP in a press statement stated that the NDC�s position smacks of hypocrisy and called on the party to apologize to the IEA.
However, the Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, Richard Quarshigah told Citi News, the NPP�s call is misplaced.
According to him, the NDC never said that the IEA is not credible institution but did indicate that �there are several platforms that we can take advantage of and that we want to live by the convention that has been the case since the democratic dispensation.�
He stated that the NDC reached the decision to take part in the debate after the IEA had persistently dialogued with the leaders of the party.
Mr. Quarshigah said: �It is also not an issue of us apologizing to the IEA because the IEA actually lobbied us consistently and persistently and dialogued with us severally before we arrived at the conclusion of the president appearing on their platform.�
�So it�s not as if the NDC refused to be on the IEA platform and then turn around on its own to go and lobby the IEA to give us that platform�.
�So Nana Akomea�s press statement is so misplaced and I find it ill-informed�, he added.
The IEA has now scheduled October 9 for President John Mahama to face the nation and that will be the first time a sitting President is submitting to such encounters.
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