EDITORIAL - Get on with the debates

JAMAICA'S TWO big political parties - the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), which forms the government, and the People's National Party (PNP) - should be shamed by their unseemly debate over their participation in national debates.

It has become customary during general elections, since the 1990s, for the leaders of both parties, as well as their spokespersons on key portfolios, to debate each other on policy issues.

These encounters are useful. They allow voters to see how the candidates and potential leaders perform on their feet when questioned on key policy issues, thereby helping them to form views on their likely performance in office.

It is, however, true that, at times, the debaters are overly scripted, denying citizens from getting a true grasp of the personalities and/or strengths and weaknesses of the candidates.

On balance, though, this newspaper believes that the outcomes have been positive.

While in the past the parties have squabbled over format, venues and questioners for the debates, this time things have gone worse, to the point that there is a danger of the debates being scrapped.

The Jamaica Debates Commission and, apparently, the JLP want a one-on-one debate between the leaders of the parties, Mr Andrew Holness of the JLP and Mrs Portia Simpson Miller of the PNP. There would be subordinate debates.

The PNP has argued, if not insisted on, for a team debate. The JLP's assumption is that the PNP wants to 'hide' its leader in a crowd. The JLP has said that Mr Holness is willing to debate an empty chair.

Sidelining issues

But, apparently, there are issues that the JLP wants to take off the table, such as the status of Jamaica's stalled negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to rescue the standby agreement.

This is all nonsense.

Under serious threats from the enemies of the people, like the crushing national debt and corruption that undermine the potential for economic growth and job creation, the leaders need to articulate to citizens their strategies for dealing with these dark hosts that are are upon us. The debates provide one significant avenue for doing this - for engaging thinking Jamaicans who are concerned about fundamental issues.

The parties, therefore, must end their quibbling and get on with the debates, whatever the format. Were we to be asked, though, we would frankly assert that Mrs Simpson Miller has little to lose in a head-on debate with the JLP leader.

The country would lose if there is no debate, or if there was a restricted debate in which some critical subjects were excluded. That can't be to the advantage of either party.