Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Haruna Iddrisu has described proposals by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) to organise a separate presidential debate for the two main parties as discriminatory, prejudiced and unconstitutional.

The Public Policy Institute has said base on a survey it conducted, a majority of the respondents indicated they would want to witness a separate debate between the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP).

This will be an addition to what the Institute organises to give contesting parties the opportunity to debate prior to the election over the years.

But Haruna Iddrisu who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South has disagreed to this latest development.

Mr. Iddrisu argues that the Constitution enjoined the provision of fair and equal opportunities by every state institution and civil society group to every citizenry. 

Addressing police personnel at this year’s police West Africa Security Services Association (WASSA) celebration in Tamale he noted that "political parties regardless of their size and strength has a responsibility to shape political opinion and to deepens our democratic ethos."

The Northern Regional Deputy Police Commander, ACP Akrofi Oyirifi revealed that the regional police has set-up a political investigation desk to deal with all election-related cases expeditiously to their logical and lawful conclusion.

Over the years, misunderstanding between the two dominant political parties in the region the NDC and the NPP has often triggers violence confrontations leading to the destruction of properties. It is in this regard that the police say they have established the unit to avert issues that would emanate from the November polls.

ACP Oyirifi also remarked about the drop in crime rate in the Region. He said the murder rate has dropped from 42 reported cases in 2014 to 36 in 2015 while defilement abduction, rape, possession of firearms without authority, narcotics and drugs related offences all witnessed a reduction in the first quarter of 2016 as compared to previous years.

Northern Regional Minister Abdallah Abubakar applauded the police for keeping the Region safe.