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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said though it pulled out of the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) sponsored debate because it disagreed with the approach, it also boycotted the event because pro opposition newspapers, the Daily Guide and Searchlight would have confused the party’s supporters with their publications if the NDC had participated.

The IEA held a debate today Tuesday 20th October for or against the compilation of a new voters register ahead of the 2016 general election.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) which is championing the course for a new register claiming over 76,000 foreign nationals are registered on Ghana’s voters register which makes the electoral roll not credible joined other parties at the debate.

However the ruling NDC which is against the compilation of a new register indicated it would not partake in the debate emphasizing that the IEA is “attempting to usurp, or compete with the EC over the Voters Register issue; which is unacceptable.”

The party in a release signed by its General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketiah said the Electoral Commission is the Body mandated to deal with all issues relating to election matters and it is surprised that the IEA, is organizing this debate after it was part of a decision that was taken by the, Ghana Political Parties Programme (GPPP), that the EC should be in-charge of this matter.

Speaking on Kasapa FM, the Deputy General Secretary of the party, Koku Anyidoho stated that the NDC has a solid case and will make its arguments when it engages the EC on the 29th and 30th October as has been set, and will not engage in any exercise that will feed into the agenda of its opponents.

“The NDC has a strong case but we have deliberately decided to stay away from the IEA debate. Aside the fact that we disagree with the approach by the IEA, we have a worry,…. we’ll go for the debate today and tomorrow you’ll see Daily Guide’s front page with a story completely different from what the NDC said at the event, Searchlight newspaper will do same and both newspapers will end up confusing our numerous supporters, we don’t want that to happen.

So we resolved to pull out of the debate and wait for the 29th and 30th October meeting with the EC where we’ll state our case forcefully”.