Political Debates are important because they:

• Promote civil discourse
• Defuse political / partisan tensions
• Ensure a focus on issues
• Allows the public to compare political parties directly in the same forum
• Provide basis for accountability

The Jamaican public agrees that debates are important. Key findings in polls conducted after General Elections have shown:

% that believes general election debates should be mandatory. 67%
% of persons who changed their vote after watching the debates. 30%
% that believes that debates are important prior to a general election mainly because it informs about each party’s plan/ideas. 61%
% that said that the debates addressed their issues. 78%
% that said the debates helped them to decide. 57%
% of voting age who say they have followed past political debates. 40%

What Happened After The Cancellation Of The 2016 General Election Debates?
The ruling PNP decided that they would not participate in the debates. The decision not to debate was highlighted and condemned by print and electronic media alike, and was widely discussed on talk shows and social media. See press releases

The incumbent party lost elections by one seat in a surprising defeat.

JDC commissioned an independent poll after the elections to check public reaction.

POLL RESULTS

% of the voting population who were anticipating the debates. 43%
% of the voting population who stated that the absence of the debates changed their voting decision in last election. 11%
% who changed their vote to the opposition. 35%
% who voted for the incumbent. 9%
% who did not vote. 26%
% who voted for a third party candidate. 4%
% of voters who believe that the debates influence their voting choices. 46%

Polling indicates that the electorate have found the debates useful in making their final voting choices