The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) says its first 2024 Presidential Evening Encounter for aspirants will be held on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.

The evening will host Nana Kwame Bediako of the New Force Movement as its first candidate to present his visions and plans to the public.

The Most Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, Chairperson of the IEA Presidential Debate Committee, disclosed this at a press briefing in Accra.

In all, five candidates, including the first, would take turns on scheduled dates in the Presidential Evening Encounter events hosted by the IEA.

He said the second candidate would have his encounter on Tuesday, September 24; followed by the third on Tuesday, October 1; the fourth on Tuesday, October 8, and the fifth on Tuesday, October 15, all scheduled to take place at 1730 hours.

He informed that the moderator would give the Candidate 30 minutes to make a presentation, which would be followed by a question and answer in one and a half hours.

“In person presence will be by invitation, with invitees to be drawn from Civil Society Organisations, Associations, Private Sector Institutions, Public Sector Institutions, Political Parties, Diplomatic Communities, Faith-Based Organizations, and Labour Unions, among others,” he said.

Reverend Boafo also announced the dates for the Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates as Tuesday, October 22, for the First Presidential Debate, followed by the Vice-Presidential Debate on Tuesday, November 05, and the Second Presidential Debate on Tuesday, November 19.

He said they expected that the encounters and debates would promote constructive political discourse, focused on issues and policies to deepen multiparty democracy and good governance in the country.

He said the criteria for selecting the candidates for the evening encounters and presidential debates were that the candidate should have submitted official documentation to the Electoral Commission to participate in the election.

“Also, the candidate should have launched his or her manifesto, received media recognition from reputable media outlets and a reasonable assessment of the candidate’s performance in selected election polls.”