It was suggested (May 13, 2002) ‘that a move towards the establishment of a “Debates Commission” … should be pursued’. At a meeting on May 29, 2002 the name “Debates Commission” was (informally) adopted. This appellation subsequently evolved to become the “Jamaica Debates Commission”.  The Commission was formally registered in 2007.

Before March, 2002 the JCC had been in discussion with the U.S. Embassy’s Office of Public Affairs. Arising out of that discussion, assistance was obtained for addressing operational, logistical, and procedural challenges in the conduct of debates between political parties. This assistance was provided by personnel from two U.S. organizations:

• The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
• The U.S. Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).

{In 1997 and 1998 the NDI provided technical assistance to the Jamaican monitoring group, Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE)}.

During meetings in May and June, 2002 it was agreed that the Commissioners would be:

• Chairman, Philmore Ogle
• JCC representative, Noel daCosta (Peter Graham as alternate)
• MAJ representative, Newton James (Angela Patterson as alternate)
• Outreach representative, Kevin O’Brien Chang (Glen Christian as alternate)
• Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) representative, Glen McFarlane.

In June, 2002 discussions were held regarding the staging in-studio one-off debates in each parish, with the thought that these would be carried by local cable TV service providers to the homes of citizens. These debates were to take place simultaneously in all parishes immediately after the National Leaders Debate. In each parish the chambers of commerce, the service clubs and the cable TV service providers were to constitute a Debate Watch Organizing committee. However these plans had to be abandoned for lack of resources to establish the organizing committees in time before the General Elections of 2002.

At the national level in that year the JDC planned 3 debates on:

1. Economic Development Issues
2. Social Development Issues
3. Governance.

However, a last- minute withdrawal of some panellists made it necessary for the first and second debates to be combined on October 8, 2002 between:

• Bruce  Golding and Audley Shaw (JLP), Omar Davies and Burchell Whiteman (PNP)
• The Leaders Debate between P.J. Patterson and Edward Seaga on October 10, 2002 addressed governance.

Both debates were carried live by:

• CVM TV, LOVE TV and TVJ
• HOT 102, KLAS FM, LOVE 101, POWER 106 and RJR 94.

In its post-debate analysis shortly after the 2002 debates, the Commission concluded that one-hour duration was too short and that the format utilized was too inflexible.

The JDC switched to a 1½ hour round table format of presentation for a follow-up series of debates in 2003. This format involved a moderator and discussants (including selectees of political parties).

• The first presentation by a moderator and 5 discussants (without a government representative) on May 29, 2003 explored growth prospects for Tourism, Exports, Agriculture, Manufacturing and Services; and was carried live on 2 TV stations and 4 radio stations. Post-event feed-back considered the duration inadequate for focus on any one subsector.
• The second presentation {by a moderator, 4 discussants (including representatives of Government and of the Opposition) supported by 5 resource persons and a research paper by Professor Errol Morrison} on October 2, 2003 examined “Educating for the New Economy: The Way Forward”.
• The third presentation {by a moderator, 4 discussants including representatives of Government and of the Opposition) supported by 8 resource persons and a research paper by Dr. Ian Boxill} on October 29, 2003 examined “Tourism: The Way Forward” and explored the feasibility of increasing tourist arrivals from 2 million to 5 million per annum.
• Post-event feed-back from the second and third presentations considered that content was solid and format innovative.
• The second and third debates in this series were carried live by CVM TV, TVJ and radio stations HOT 102, KLAS and POWER 106.

The 2002 debates and the 2003 panel discussions were sponsored by:

• Scotiabank, Red Stripe and National Commercial Bank
• Contributions by U.S.A.I.D. and the U.S. Embassy’s Office of Public Affairs.

The JDC resumed activity in July, 2006 in preparation for national debates leading up to the General Elections which were held on August 27, 2007.

The Structure of the JDC was re-constituted to comprise:

Commissioners:

• Chairman, Philmore Ogle of JCC
• Vice-Chairman, Gary Allen of MAJ
• MAJ representatives, Jennifer Grant and Brian Schmidt
• JCC representatives, Anthony Chang and Lyndon Williams

Administrator: Eleanor Henry

Resource Person: Trevor Fearon

Three debates were staged that year, using the production facilities at the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC). These comprised:

Social Issues Debate: Wednesday, August 8. Debaters: Dr. Ken Baugh (JLP) and Dr. Peter Phillips (PNP). Moderator – Dervan Malcolm. Panelists: Emily Crooks, Earl Moxam and Damion Mitchell

 
Economic Issues Debate: Staged on Friday, August 10. Debaters: Dr. Omar Davies (PNP) and Mr. Audley Shaw (JLP). Moderator – Derek Jones. Panellists: Garfield Burford- CVM TV; Erica Virtue – Jamaica Observer; Franklin McKnight – North Coast Times & IRIE FM

Leadership Issues Debate: Staged on Saturday August 11. Debaters: Bruce Golding (JLP) and Portia Simpson Miller (PNP). Moderator – Ian Boyne. Panelists: Dionne Jackson-Miller (RJR), Lloyd B. Smith (Western Mirror), Moya Thomas (RJR)

Sponsorship was secured from the Jamaica Public Service Company, the D & G Foundation, the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica. Contributions were received from Flow, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Technical support was once more provided by the US Commission for Presidential Debates (CPD) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI)

The opposition JLP won 32 seats while the PNP won 28 seats.

The 2011 General Election Debates
While General Elections were not constitutionally due until late 2012, the Jamaica
Debates Commission began its meetings in June 2011 with a view to preparing itself in case elections were called early. As in previous cycles, qualified political parties were subsequently invited to meet with the Commission so as to secure a formal agreement to debate ahead of the elections. As it turns out, on September 25th  Prime Minister Bruce Golding announced his imminent resignation from that post as well as from the post of JLP Party Leader.

Former Minister of Education, Andrew Holness was subsequently sworn in as Prime
Minister on October 23 rd . General elections were set for December 29.

The Structure of the JDC was reconstituted to comprise:

Commissioners:
● Chairman, Gary Allen of MAJ
● Vice-Chairman, Noel daCosta of JCC
● MAJ representatives, Jennifer Grant and Brian Schmidt
● JCC representatives, Anthony Chang and Philmore Ogle.

Resource Persons: Eleanor Henry, Trevor Fearon, Brian St. Juste

Three debates were produced at the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC)
and for the first time the JDC presented a team debate featuring 3-member teams. The debates held were:

Socio Economic (from a youth perspective) Debate: Saturday, December 10.
Debaters: Dr. Saphire Longmore, Marlene Malahoo Forte & Warren Newby (JLP) and Dr. Dayton Campbell, Lisa Hanna & Raymond Pryce (PNP). Moderator – Archibald Gordon (TVJ). Panelists – Ingrid Brown (Jamaica Observer), Garfield Burford (CVM TV) & Nadene Mcloud (RJR).

Finance & Economy Debate: Thursday, December 15. Debaters: Audley Shaw (JLP) and Dr. Peter Phillips (PNP). Moderator – Derek Jones. Panellists: Dwayne Berbick (CVM TV), Al Edwards (Jamaica Observer) & Damion Mitchell (Gleaner/Power 106)

Leadership Issues Debate: Tuesday, December 20. Debaters: Andrew Holness (JLP) and Portia Simpson Miller (PNP). Moderator – Dervan Malcolm (Power 106). Panelists: Dionne Jackson Miller (RJR) & Franklin McKnight (IRIE FM). The leadership debate was staged in a town hall format at the Law Faculty at the University of The West Indies.

Sponsorship was secured from the Jamaica Public Service Company, the D & G
Foundation. Additional resources were secured from the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID).

The opposition PNP won 41 seats while the JLP won 21 seats.

2012 marked the first time that the JDC produced a Local Government debate. It was decided that a team format would be exciting for viewers and listeners and also allow for a broader representation of those involved in local government.

The Structure of the JDC remained identical to that of the 2011 general elections:

Commissioners:

• Chairman, Gary Allen of MAJ
• Vice-Chairman, Noel daCosta of JCC
• MAJ representatives, Jennifer Grant and Brian Schmidt
• JCC representatives, Anthony Chang and Philmore Ogle.

Resource Persons: Eleanor Henry, Trevor Fearon, Brian St. Juste

Local Government Management & Reform Debate:  Thursday, March 22. Debaters were; Desmond McKenzie, Robert Montague & Milton Brown (JLP) and Noel Arscott, Brenda Ramsey & Angela Brown-Burke (PNP). Moderator – Archibald Gordon (TVJ). Panelists: Natalie Campbell (IRIE FM), Dwayne Berbick (CVM TV) & Rhoma Tomlinson (Jamaica Observer/NCU).

Sponsorship and support were provided by D&G Foundation, JPS, Flow, British High Commission, UNDP and Columbus Business Solutions,

The ruling PNP won the local government election securing 12 municipalities compared to the JLP’s 1. There was a tie in Trelawny

Ahead of what was anticipated to be general elections in 2016 the structure of the JDC was re-constituted to comprise:

Commissioners:

• Chairman, Noel daCosta of JCC
• Vice-Chairman, Brian Schmidt of MAJ
• MAJ representatives, Jennifer Grant and Christopher Barnes
• JCC representatives, Anthony Chang and Philmore Ogle

Resource Persons: Dr. Eleanor Henry, Trevor Fearon, Gary Allen, Brian St. Juste & Dr. Lloyd Barnett.

Three debates were planned including a Social Issues Debate, Economy & Finance Debate and a Leadership Debate.

However, for the first time since its formation in 2002, the Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) was unsuccessful in its efforts to stage political debates ahead of a General Election. Following months of discussions with both major political parties and the signing of an MOU by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), the People’s National Party (PNP) and the JDC, the PNP took the decision not to participate 4 days ahead of the General Election February 25, 2016. The commission had made contingency plans to present the debate right up to two days before the election, which was consistent with the cut-off for electioneering activities should there have been a last minute agreement to debate. LINK JIS STORY OF BC/EOJ/MEDIA AGREEMENT ON ELECTION ADVERTISING

The decision of the PNP to not participate was roundly condemned by many in the general public as evidenced in Letters to the Editors, editorials in the nation’s newspapers, numerous talk shows, and on social media platforms. Many (including research conducted by the PNP) concluded that the eventual general election defeat of the incumbent administration by a one-seat margin and the narrow margins of defeat in a number of parliamentary constituencies, were directly attributable to the perception in the mind of some in the electorate that the ruling party’s stance constituted a display of arrogance. All recognised political polls had the PNP winning a comfortable victory right up to their decision to not participate. 

The opposition JLP won 32 seats compared to the PNP’s 31 and formed a new government

In early 2015, the JDC and the major political parties signed an agreement committing the two parties to taking part in one or two local government debates. At the time of signing, local government elections were due by the end of June, 2015. However, the PNP Administration – with Parliamentary support from the Opposition JLP – introduced a Parliamentary bill extending the life of local government bodies through to end-December 2016. Local government elections were set for November 28.

The Structure of the JDC remained the same as that put in place ahead of the 2016 general elections:

Commissioners:

• Chairman, Noel daCosta of JCC
• Vice-Chairman, Brian Schmidt of MAJ
• MAJ representatives, Jennifer Grant and Christopher Barnes
• JCC representatives, Anthony Chang and Philmore Ogle

Resource Persons: Dr. Eleanor Henry, Trevor Fearon, Gary Allen, Brian St. Juste & Dr. Lloyd Barnett.

Two local government team debates were produced in this cycle:

Local Government Policy & How It Affects You Debate: Wednesday, November 16. Debaters: Desmond McKenzie, Kenisha Allen & Charles Sinclair (JLP); Donovan Mitchell, Angella Brown Burke & Everton Fisher (PNP). Moderator – Patrick Anderson (RJR Group). Panellists: Kimone Francis (Jamaica Observer), Earl Moxam (RJR) & Natalie Campbell (IRIE FM). Social Media editor: Marjorie Gordon (CVM TV).

Local Government At Work Debate: Wednesday, November 23. Debaters: Richard Creary, Milton Brown & Delroy Williams (JLP); Venesha Phillips, Scean Barnswell & Eugene Kelly (PNP). Moderator – Janelia Precius (TVJ). Panelists: Damion Mitchell (Gleaner), Khalila Reynolds (Nationwide News Network) & Irvin Forbes (CVM TV). Social Media Editor: Marjorie Gordon (CVM TV)

These debates, for the first time, allowed the public to ask questions via social media subsequent to their being screened and vetted by a social media editor. The fact that the public was able to directly contribute in real time was a feature that greatly pleased the Commission.

The debates were sponsored by Purity Bakery, Miss Birdie Biscuits, Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, and the D&G Foundation. Additional contributions were secured from Flow, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Proven Investments Limited.

The JLP won 9 of the Municipal Corporations compared to the PNP’s 3. There was a tie in the St. Thomas division. The Portmore division voted for their mayor directly leading to the election of the PNP candidate.

Planning for the next round of General Elections started in the last quarter of 2019 even though General Elections were not constitutionally due until February 2021. The qualifying political parties Jamaica Labour Party and People's National Party were invited to sign a Memorandum of Understand for National Debates which was done October 16, 2019.

 In early 2020 international news outlets started reporting on a mysterious illness affecting a provincial city Wuhan, in China. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the illness, COVID-19, a pandemic. With countries closing their borders and significant restrictions placed on travel, movement, and gatherings worldwide, many wondered how an election and indeed a debate could be held.  

On August 11, 2020, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the election date of September 3, 2020, with a nomination date set for August 18, 2020. This left the Jamaica Debates Commission with approximately two weeks to produce and advertise three election debates in the week before the announced election date. The dates of the scheduled election debates were August 25, 27, and 29, 2020. 

 Even with Jamaica’s relatively low COVID -19 numbers, the disease still forced a reshuffling of debaters slated for the Social Issues Debate as some debaters from the People's National Party were forced to quarantine after exposure to COVID -19. 

The structure of the JDC ahead of the 2020 general elections was:

Commissioners:

• Chairman, Noel daCosta of JCC
• Vice-Chairman, Brian Schmidt of MAJ
• MAJ representatives, Jennifer Grant, and Christopher Barnes
• JCC representatives, Anthony Chang, and Chantal Bennett

Resource Persons: Dr. Eleanor Henry, Trevor Fearon, Gary Allen, Brian St. Juste & Dr. Lloyd Barnett.

Three debates were produced at the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC). These comprised:

• Social Issues: Tuesday, August 25. Debaters: Kamina Johnson- Smith (JLP), Christopher Tufton (JLP), Floyd Green (JLP) and Dr. Dayton Campbell (PNP), Lisa Hanna (PNP) and Raymond Pryce (PNP). Moderator – Janella Percius (TVJ). Panellists – Natalie Campbell (IRIE FM), Vashan Brown (TVJ), and Marjorie Gordon (Nationwide). 

• Finance & Economy: Thursday, August 27. Debaters: Dr. Nigel Clarke (JLP) and Mark Golding (PNP). Moderator – Damion Mitchell. Panellists: Kalilah Henriques-Reynolds (Nationwide), Dashan Hendricks (TVJ) and Damion Mitchell (Gleaner) 

• Leadership Issues: Saturday, August 29. Debaters: Andrew Holness (JLP) and Portia Simpson Miller (PNP). Moderator – Dervan Malcolm (Power 106). Panellists: Dionne Jackson Miller (RJR) and George Davis (Sportsmax/PAJ President).  

Sponsorship was secured from Proven, Scotiabank, Flow, National Democratic Institution, Digicel, National Commercial Bank, Pan Jam, University of the West Indies (UWI), JN Group and Victoria Mutual Building Society. 

The governing Jamaica Labour Party won by landslide with 49 seats to the Peoples National Party 14 seats. 

On November 4, 2021, the JDC and the major political parties signed an agreement committing the two parties to taking part in one or two local government debates. However, the JLP Administration introduced a Parliamentary bill originally extending the life of local government bodies through to February 2022 and then another extension was granted until February 2023. The 2023 election was deferred one more time and Local Government Elections were held for February 26, 2024.

The Structure of the JDC remained largely the same as that put in place ahead of the 2020 general elections:

Commissioners:

• Chairman, Noel daCosta of JCC

• Vice-Chairman, Brian Schmidt of MAJ

• MAJ representatives, Jennifer Grant and Christopher Barnes

• JCC representative, Anthony Chang

Resource Persons: Dr. Eleanor Henry, Trevor Fearon, Gary Allen, Brian St. Juste, Damaris Mayne, Brian Walker & Dr. Lloyd Barnett.

Two local government team debates were produced in this cycle:

Local Government Policy & How It Affects You Debate: Thursday, February 15. Debaters: Charles Sinclair, Richard Creary & Venesha Phillips (JLP); Natalie Neita Garvey, Dennis Gordon & Allan Bernard (PNP). Moderator – Janella Precius (RJR Group). Panellists: Janet Silvera (Gleaner) & Giovanni Dennis (RJR). Social Media editor: Neika Lewis (CVM TV).

Local Government At Work Debate: Saturday, February 17. Debaters: Richard Creary, Milton Brown & Delroy Williams (JLP); Venesha Phillips, Scean Barnswell & Eugene Kelly (PNP). Moderator – George Davis (Nationwide News Network). Panellists: Natalie Campbell (IRIE FM) & Arthur Hall (Jamaica Observer). Social Media Editor: Ramon Gordon (CVM TV).

These debates again allowed the public to ask questions via social media subsequent to their being screened and vetted by a social media editor.

The debates were sponsored by JN Group, Petrojam, The National Democratic Institute (NDI), Lasco Chin Foundation, Pan Jamaica Group Limited and Miss Birdie. Additional support was provided by Edgechem Paints and Digicel.

 The JLP won 7 of the Municipal Corporations compared to the PNP’s 6. The Kingston & St. Andrew Municipal Corp (KSAC) was tied and a PNP mayor will be appointed as the PNP enjoyed the popular vote. The Portmore division voted for their mayor directly leading to the election of the PNP candidate.