State broadcaster National Communica-tions Network (NCN) has pulled the plug on a planned series of town-hall style debates for the upcoming general elections after failing to get a response from the opposition.
NCN’s Chief Executive Officer Molly Hassan told Stabroek News that while the deadline to respond to the invitation was March 30, an extension was given. She said that she had written to all interested parties on March 26th.
In a press release yesterday, NCN stated that the debates were scheduled to commence yesterday but after “exhaustive efforts failed to get all stakeholders on board,” NCN was forced to “abandon” the initiative.
On Tuesday, Hassan had told Stabroek News that three debates concerning the sugar industry, the bauxite industry and national security were being discussed. She had said that NCN was looking to organize the debates in town hall-type settings and they would not be held at NCN’s compound on Homestretch Avenue.
The NCN statement yesterday noted that “while the PPP General Secretary and other stakeholders have indicated their interest to participate, the political opposition did not respond to the invitation.” It said that invitations were dispatched to the PPP’s General Secretary Clement Rohee, presidential candidate for the APNU+AFC alliance David Granger and other stakeholders.
“NCN has over the years, extended similar invitations to the major political parties and other stakeholders in Guyana; however the opposition continually elude these invitations and on many occasion provide little or no explanation,” the statement said. On Tuesday, when speaking with Stabroek News, Hassan said that the opposition coalition had indicated that a response would be forthcoming and she was prepared to wait on a response. Hassan did not state that preparations were already underway to have the debates commence yesterday. She had said that NCN wanted to reach out to persons via social media to determine what were some of the more topical issues and what persons would want to hear debated.
Stabroek News had asked for the concrete plans and how the debates would be handled and NCN’s CEO had said that those details were still being discussed as invitations were only sent out a week prior.
