PRESS RELEASE
JDC Awaiting Debate Confirmation
Kingston, Jamaica, Monday February 8: With only 17 days left before the country's national elections the Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) is still working to confirm proposed debate dates of February 16, 18 and 20.
“Confirmation, at this juncture, is critical given the logistics involved in staging high quality and effective debates." Deputy Chairman of the JDC, Brian Schmidt remarked. "We are ready to go”.
The parties have thus far agreed in principle to three debates focusing on social, economic and leadership issues.
The JDC Deputy Chairman reminded that the raison d'être of political debates is the opportunity they provide the electorate to assess the policies and proposals of contenders for political office in a civil and reasoned forum, so that it may make informed political choices. This, he said, has major implications for democracy and governance especially in a context where voter participation in Jamaica is approaching historically low levels.
Giving an update on the JDC’s discussions with the parties, he advised that the JCC had been in negotiations with the two major political parties from as early as the 1st quarter of 2015, when there was an expectation that local government elections would be held by the middle of the year. That resulted in the PNP, JLP and JDC signed an Agreement to engage in up to two local government debates. However this agreement was shelved after the life of the local government administration was extended by Parliament at the end of June. Subsequently, discussions were renewed when officials of the ruling party gave indications that general elections would be held by before the end of 2015, with the parties negotiating the terms of an MOU to cover three debates ahead of the general elections.
Similarly, in the days immediately after the announcement of a February 25 General Election date, the JDC convened meetings with the parties so as to finalize dates and formats.
The JDC, a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization, is a partnership between Media Association Jamaica and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce. It has staged political debates in the general election cycles of 2002, 2007 and 2011, as well as a debate ahead of the 2012 Local Government election.
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