AFC presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan said yesterday that he plans to debate his political opponents from parties “that matter” if the conditions are agreed upon, and the PNCR and the PPP might take up challenge.
David Granger, the PNCR presidential nominee, said yesterday his party has not discussed the issue and he hesitated to give a personal opinion. However, the party’s democratic process to select its candidate this year involved a series of public debates spread across the country. Granger said the party
has not launched its campaign yet, noting that the issue of presidential debates would have to be part of the conversation prior to the official launch.
The PPP is yet to name its presidential candidate from a field of five nominees but General Secretary and nominee Donald Ramotar yesterday told Stabroek News the party would be willing to participate. “The political situation in the country demands it though we have not selected a candidate and/or even discussed this at the party level,” he said yesterday.
Presidential debates have not been a tradition in this country though back in 2001 the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) had proposed televised debates for the eight presidential candidates under the theme, “The Future of Guyana.” At the time, then GECOM Chairman Major General (retired) Joe Singh had said that in taking the political debate a stage further, the GECOM wanted to encourage and promote a “more profound relationship between the political parties, presidential candidates and the electorate.”
The objective of the debates, according the Commission, was to enable listeners and viewers to be better informed about the policies, programmes and strategies for the future development of Guyana. It had outlined a format which provided for opening and closing statements by the candidates as well as their responses following an answer by a particular candidate to be determined by the drawing of lots.
Ramjattan spoke of the necessary framework being in place to facilitate the debates, stressing that he would not support debates which lack a structure and the proper organisation.
However, he was adamant that parties which are not on the ground doing work should not be included in the process.
According to him, only the major political parties should be involved. “I would love to see this happen so that our policies could be outlined to the public and let the people judge but I will say again that I’m not going to debate any little party that has cropped up and cannot show any tangible support base,” Ramjattan added.
Guyana People’ Partner-ship (GPP) presidential candidate Peter Ramsaroop declared in February this year that he was ready and willing to participate in debates and he posited that this process would reveal the candidate with the best vision for the nation. “The GPP is not opposed to this process also leading to a consensus opposition presidential candidate to face the PPP presidential candidate,” Ramsaroop said.
He called on representatives from other parties to agree to meet with representatives of the Guyana Press Association to “hammer out the details” to ensure that its suggestion for the debate is realised, and he also urged privately-owned TV and/or the state media to broadcast or stream via the internet, town hall debates.
Mike McCormack Co-Chairman of the Guyana Human Rights Association, which was a part of the Citizens’ Election Network during the last polls, told this that people are disenchanted with the political system and are interested in a different type of politics—a realisation which those aspiring for higher office ought to take serious note of. He said that the ‘Facing the Future’ initiative recently launched by civil society groups, intends to engage political parties and citizens on a number of issues.
From their initial discussions, he said it is clear how citizens are feeling and their desire for a more inclusive future for all.
