LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DEBATES GUIDELINES

The debates which will be staged under the auspices of the Jamaica Debates Commission, are for the benefit of the Jamaican people.  The main purpose of the debates is to help persons in making informed electoral choices among candidates for office. 

The debates shall be produced as “made for television events” by format, meaning that they will run as a TV programme would.  Notwithstanding, all debates will be done in a manner accommodating all media, thereby ensuring that print and other electronic media are not at a disadvantage. 

Set out below are general guidelines for the Local Government Election Debates

i. There will be two (2) debates, each of 90 minutes’ duration.

ii. In order of staging, the debates shall be:
*The Relevance of Jamaica’s Local Government System
* Local Government and the Citizen

* thematic areas are subject to change

iii.          Debates will commence at 9.00 PM.

1. Debates a) and b) will be on the specific thematic areas noted, and any question relating to those areas will be allowed as being relevant. 
2. Both debates will be team debates, with each side represented by a team of three debaters. 
3. It shall be the responsibility of each debate team to establish who will address each question posed to the team in the timeframe allowed for answers.

vii.     In addition to the "top and tail" commercials, there will be three commercial breaks of approximately three minutes duration spaced evenly. 

 viii.   The countdown of time to answer each question, rebut or make opening/closing statements will be displayed for the debaters to see.  Either the traditional green, amber and red lights will be used, or a clock positioned for easy visibility of the time elapsed will be provided.

1. A moderator will direct the flow of the debate, assisted by a timekeeper and guided by the instructions of a producer.
2. A panel of two journalists will ask questions of the debaters. Every third question will be sourced from the public via social media and will be posed by the Social Media Editor.
3. The Jamaica Debates Commission will have no role or influence in determining any of the questions asked and the questions posed will be entirely at the determination of the individual questioners. As stipulated (see #x, above) each third question will be sourced from social media.

xii.     Debate teams will have a maximum of 90 seconds to answer the question posed. The opposing team will be allowed a maximum of 45 seconds to rebut the answer given by the other team.

xiii.    The moderator will have the latitude to raise follow up questions for clarification only. Questioners will be allowed a follow up question to their primary question on only two occasions during the entire debate. Follow up questions will be permitted at the discretion of the moderator.  Where a follow up question is asked, the team to which it is directed shall have one minute to provide the answer. The opposing team is allowed 45 seconds for rebuttal. Where a follow up question is asked it shall not interrupt the sequence of questions posed to the respective debaters. 

xiv.     While the debate team is responding, one reaction shot of no longer than 5 seconds is allowed of the other team.  This shall be a close up shot.

1. Debaters are not allowed to ask questions of the moderator and questioners except in a rhetorical manner.

xvi.    If a debate team chooses, it can combine answers as a means of further rebuttal: that is, in answering a question, the debater may choose to give a succinct answer and to say that in relation to the previously made point or asked question the team would like to say further that ……..  However, in doing so an answer must be given to the specific question posed to the team. 

xvii.    Debaters are to refer to their opponents courteously by name (e.g. Ms/Mrs X or Mr. Y or Candidate X or Candidate Y and not as Councillor X or Mayor Y).

xviii.  The debate will require pre-debate acknowledgement and post-debate acknowledgement by each team member (e.g., via handshakes).

xix.    Debate teams will arrive at the decision on which will speak first, by the tossing of a coin (possibly by their authorized representatives) at least 24 hours prior to the debate; the team winning the toss will determine who gives the first opening statement.  For the closing statement, the team that delivered the first opening statement will yield to the other team in delivering the last closing statement.

1. Debate teams will each have a two-minute opening statement after the introductory comments of the moderator.  

xxi.     Debate teams will also each be allowed closing remarks of two minutes                                                                              duration.

xxii.   Towards the end of the debate, each debate teams will be allowed to ask their opponents one question of its choosing, to which the opponents are obliged to give an answer within 45 seconds.  The answer given in this case can be rebutted but in no longer than 30 seconds.

xxiii.   Debate teams must be at the venue at least one hour prior to the start of the debate.

xxiv.   Each debate team is allowed a “prep room” for its private use prior to the debate.  The rooms will be accessed only by persons authorized by the respective teams, and authorized JDC personnel.  

xxv.    Debaters will be asked to stand for the duration of the debate and speak from lecterns, but can sit during breaks, as long as the floor manager concurs at the time. Sitting is only permitted during the breaks.

xxvi.   The debater who is responding to a question is permitted to move no more than two feet away to the left, right or further behind the lectern during their response. 

xxvii.   Each participating political party will be allowed not more than three support persons with whom they can consult during the breaks.

xxviii.  Debaters can consult their support team during the breaks, but support teams must leave the stage 30 seconds before the start of a segment or at any time on the instruction of the floor manager.

xxix.   Studio audience is at the sole discretion of the Jamaica Debates Commission. 

xxx.   The audience is not allowed to participate in any way and any person who does not conform to this regulation will be removed from the room and will not be replaced. 

xxxi.   No camera shots of the audience will be done. 

xxxii.  Members of the audience are not allowed to wear material branded in support of anyone.

xxxiii. The political parties are not responsible for the costs and expenses related to the staging of the debates, except that each team will prove its own wardrobe, stylist and make-up services at its own cost.

Guidelines for Debaters

The Jamaica Debates Commission is the Executive Producer of the debates.  The Commission at its discretion will appoint a producer and other members of the production team.

1. The Jamaica Debates Commission will make arrangements for each participating political party to separately visit the location beforehand to get a feel of the physical environment.  
2. The name of the producer will be made public and provided to the political parties at least two weeks before the debates.

iii.      The Jamaica Debates Commission will identify a production liaison assistant who will be the sole production and technical link between the parties and the production team. 

1. On the day of the debate, participants should arrive at least an hour beforehand to have make-up done, have microphones installed, and have sound and other checks completed.
2. It is advisable to wear solid colours. Stripes, dots and combinations of these are visually distracting on television.
3. It is suggested that you prepare your team’s opening and closing remarks beforehand.

vii.      Have your staff request and have prepared beforehand, the drink you wish to have (water, juice).

viii.     A notepad and pencil will be provided at the lectern. These are the only items allowed on the lectern.

1. Each debate team can have a support team of up to three advisors.  These advisors can be consulted during the breaks and must end the consultations on the instruction of the Floor Manager who will be instructed by the Director when the production is about to resume transmission. These advisors will be accommodated in the party green room away from sensitive production areas. The guests cannot give instructions or impact in any way, the proceedings of the debates. 
2. Debate teams should note the time allocations for opening and closing remarks, questions posed to them, or rebuttals being given to questions posed to their opponents.  Appropriate “timing lights” or countdown clocks will be used for their guidance.
3. The rules of the debates request that each debate team accommodate a question from the other debate team.  Each team is obliged to answer the other’s question.

xii.    The debate will require pre-debate acknowledgement and post-debate acknowledgement by each debate team of the other (e.g. via handshakes)

xiii.     Debaters are not expected to ask questions of the moderator and questioners, except by way of occasional rhetorical reference. 

Guidelines for Moderators & Questioners

1. The key role of the moderator is to facilitate and ensure a smooth flow and balance in the process and conduct of the debate.
2. The moderator shall function by the agreed upon production procedures (guided by the producer and director) given before and during the debates.

iii.      At the beginning of each debate the moderator will explain all relevant and salient issues related to the conduct of the debate to the listening and viewing public.

1. The moderator is required to be in sync with colleague questioners and have a sense of when questions are not answered in order to facilitate follow up if necessary. 
2. Follow up is also to be facilitated when new and important matters have been raised or if a question is not answered by the candidate at the discretion of the moderator within the time format.
3. Opening statements and breaks that are scripted must be adhered to.

vii.    The moderator is permitted to ask follow-up questions for the purpose of clarification.

viii.    The moderator can allow the questioners to ask follow-up questions.  There shall however be no more than one follow-up question per primary question and each questioner is permitted no more than two follow-up questions per debate.

1. Questions can be placed in a context, but speeches are not allowed.  For guidance, primary questions must not exceed 30 seconds in duration and follow-up questions should not exceed 15 seconds in duration.
2. Questioners must ask questions.  Therefore, statements are not to be made followed by a request to react to the statement. 
3. The moderator and the questioners are encouraged to write down their questions to better ensure that clarity is established.

xii.       It is best not to read the questions verbatim, as this could prove overly “formal” or “stiff”.

xiii.    If quotations are used in the question posed, ensure that (a) the quote is accurate (b) it is stated where the quote starts (e.g. “quote”) and where it ends (e.g. “unquote”) and (c) that dates and location (publication) of the quote are identified.

xiv.     Refrain from any reaction (facial or otherwise) to anything that happens in the conduct of the debate.

1. Do not wear striped clothing (including ties), distracting or dark glasses, white clothing unless the white clothing is under jackets.

xvi.    Refer to the debaters by name as Mr., Ms. or Mrs. The debaters are all appearing as candidates.

xvii.    Do not address debaters using prefixes such as Honourable or Most Honourable, etc., even where they may be recipients of such titles as O.J., O.M or O.N.