Both New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidates for Sunyani East were absent at a parliamentary debate organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

The absentee candidates were; Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, the incumbent MP and majority chief whip and Mr Allan McBright Sekyere, the NDC candidate.

Four of the parliamentary candidates; Gifty Takyiwaa, Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Titus Eshun, Convention People’s Party (CPP), Sampson Alanyina Sampana, People’s National Convention (PNC) and Francis Kwabena Kusi of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) participated.

The debate offered an opportunity for the candidates to interact with and share their plans and visions for the electorate.

Mr Benjamin Kyere, the Sunyani Municipal Director of the NCCE, said he was not happy about the absence of the candidates from the two majority political parties adding the debate formed part of the Commission’s efforts to sustain the nation’s democracy and good governance.

“This is a bigger platform to promote issue-based campaigns to enable the electorate to make informed decisions come December 7, and it is sad that the two candidates did not turn up those we invited them,” Mr Kyere indicated.

The participating parliamentary candidates who took their turn to address the electorate pledged to promote a clean campaign in the electioneering to facilitate violence-free before, during and after the elections.