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The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rescinded its decision never to allow President John Dramani Mahama to attend the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) organised evening encounter with presidential candidates. The party in a meeting with officials of the IEA on Friday said President Mahama has now agreed to participate in the evening encounter contrary to their previous stance. General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia who made the announcement said the party has given the President the chance to go ahead and participate in the debate. Consequently, the IEA has scheduled October 9 for President Mahama to face the nation and that will be the first time a sitting president would be submitting to such encounters. The NDC had earlier insisted that no sitting President has ever participated in the presidential debate and that it was going to go along with that tradition. But speaking at the press conference in Accra Friday, Mr Asiedu Nketia said unfortunately circumstances changed following the demise of President J.E.A. Mills. He said the debate committee submitted another request in view of the change in the NDC�s presidential candidate and after engaging with President Mahama, he agreed to participate considering he was only a caretaker president and has never participated in a presidential debate. He said President Mahama believes in the quality of constructive engagements with all stakeholders in society, hence it was not difficult for him to reconsider the position of the party in the past. The leader of the IEA delegation Esi Sutherland welcomed the news and said the IEA was pleased about the development.