UG organises forum for presidential aspirants

Pge 14
Sept 4, 2008

THE University of Ghana will provide a common platform next month for all the candidates who will contest this year's Presidential election to articulate their plans and programmes.
It is scheduled for the third week of October as part of efforts to deepen the country's democratic culture and enable the candidates to explain what they would do to enhance higher education for productivity.
The presidential candidates written to by the university authorities include the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People's Party (CPP), the People's National Convention (PNC) and the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) for the debate.
Each of the candidates will be given between 10-15 minutes to articulate his party's programmes after which questions would be fielded from different groups including academia and civil society organisations.
The acting Public Affairs Director of the University of Ghana, Mrs Stella Amoah, who confirmed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the debate formed part of the 60th anniversary of the university.
Letters signed by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. C.N.B. Tagoe, to the presidential candidates said as a boost to Ghana's democratic culture, the University of Ghana's 60th Anniversary Planning Committee had proposed a platform for all the presidential candidates to engage the university community, alumni, friends of the university and the general public to a Presidential Debate.
"For us at Legon, your participation will be a significant contribution as we celebrate 60 years this year as the premier university while sustaining our leadership position as an institution that has contributed significantly to Ghana's human capital," the letters said.
A source at the 60th anniversary planning committee said although only the DFP had confirmed its participation, he expressed the hope that the other candidates would confirmed their participation.
According to the source, the actual date for the debate would be set by authorities in consultation with the candidates.
It indicated that the presidential debate was also an opportunity for the candidates to market themselves and their parties.
Meanwhile, some students at the university have welcomed the debate saying it would serve as platform to assess the candidates better.
They said having all the candidates on one platform was a laudable idea, and expressed the hope that the dream of the university would materialise.