A Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies is blaming the Institute of Economic Affairs for the habitual boycotts of incumbent parties in the presidential debates. Dr Michael Kpessah Whyte said the IEA has over the years failed to thoroughly engage the political parties before rolling out their activities. The first edition of the presidential debate in 2000 was boycotted by the sitting vice president John Mills who was seeking to be retained in government as president. In 2004, president Kufuor who was also seeking re-election also boycotted the presidential debate. Even though all the political parties took part in the 2008 edition, the ruling National Democratic Congress announced Tuesday it is boycotting the 2012 edition. In a statement, the Propaganda Secretary of the party Richard Quarshigah said the party kept faith with the convention in which candidates of incumbent political parties failed to take part in the debates. He subsequently told Joy FM’s Dzifa Bampoh the IEA platform is not effective and potent enough to market their candidate, adding, the NDC has a better and more efficient strategies in marketing candidate John Mills. But Kpessah Whyte said the IEA has not done enough to build mutual trust with all political parties. He told Joy News some of the political parties are not too happy with the mechanism chosen by the IEA in selecting the organizing committee of the presidential debates. “I strongly believe that the mechanism the IEA used in choosing people from within the public to serve as the organizing committee might not have necessarily gone down with some of the political parties. He would rather the IEA work through the inter party advisory committee to get a common understanding from the political parties on the format of the debate, venue and other details for the debate. “I think the IEA has woefully failed to encourage and engage in this particular process thoughtfully and that has culminated in the decision year by year by sitting presidents not to participate,” he said.