The People’s National Movement (PNM) and the People’s Partnership (PP) have both officially accepted invitations to participate in this country’s first national leadership debates ahead of this year’s general election. PNM chairman Franklyn Khan announced yesterday that Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley had written to the T&T Debates Commission and agreed to participate in the debates.
“He has agreed in principle subject to the format and procedural discussions which will take place later on,” Khan said in a press conference. Khan said Rowley was prepared to debate head-on with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. “Obviously you have to debate like with like, you cannot expect us to send our political leader to the debate and you don’t send your leader.
“There has to be match for match and parity in that debate. In other words, Dr Rowley will not debate Roodal Moonilal. Let us make it abundantly clear, he will only debate with the political leader.” CEO of the Debates Commission Catherine Kumar yesterday said both the PNM and the PP had agreed to two debates. “We will be meeting with their representatives to go over the rules very soon,” Kumar said.
Kumar said the question over which leader of the People’s Partnership was eligible to debate had been resolved. “The Prime Minister has said publicly on three occasions that she would participate in the debate,” she said. “We are confident that the debate will happen.”
Kumar said a national debate for general election was long overdue and that T&T was far behind counterparts in Jamaica who had successfully carried out debates with their major political parties.