General News of Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Source: Kelvin Dartey

Dr. Bawumia is not my target at IEA debate – Amissah-Arthur

Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has downplayed public views that it would be a two-horse race between himself and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the IEA vice presidential debate on Tuesday.

According to Mr. Amissah-Arthur, all the four parties participating in the debate – Convention People’s Party (CPP), People’s National Convention (PNC), New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have all at one point in time governed Ghana hence they all go into the debate with some level of experience.

His comments come on the back of assertions that the debate would be between the two economists - Dr. Bawumia and himself - who have both worked at the Bank of Ghana.

Speaking to the media before departing for Takoradi in the Western region, where the Vice Presidential debate would be held, Mr. Amissah-Arthur said he was quite prepared for the debate.

“It’s a four-horse race because the CPP for example has a long history of development in this country; the PNC also has a record so these are four parties who have one way or the other ruled the country and each one would bring some perspective. So it’s going to be a four-cornered contest,” he said.

When questioned how prepared he was, Mr. Amissah-Arthur said, “I’m quite prepared. I do not think I’m going to need any special preparations because we are going to have a conversation to tell people the plans that we have.”

“This is not to win debating points, but to provide Ghanaians a vision that the NDC government has and which we think is superior to the other parties,” he added.