The Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) has announced that this year’s political debates will be held on August 23, 26, and 28, just days before Jamaicans head to the polls on September 3.
The debates will take place at the Creative Production & Training Centre (CPTC) in Kingston and will be broadcast live on radio, television, and digital platforms, including social media.
JDC Chairman Brian Schmidt confirmed the dates following a meeting on Friday with representatives of both major political parties, the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
In sequence, the first debate on August 23 will focus on social issues, followed by an economy-focused debate on August 26. The series will culminate in a leaders’ debate on August 28 between the JLP and PNP party heads.
The first two debates will feature three-member teams from each party. All three events are scheduled to run for 90 minutes.
The JDC has organized election debates since 2002, when then Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and Opposition Leader Edward Seaga faced off in the country’s first nationally televised leaders’ debate. In 2007, the series featured separate nights for social issues, economic issues, and leadership, culminating in a high-profile face-off between Bruce Golding and Portia Simpson Miller.
The 2011 general election debates introduced a youth perspective in the socio-economic round, while the 2020 series included three debates, with the leaders’ debate between Holness and then PNP President Dr. Peter Phillips drawing significant public attention.
The Commission has also hosted local government debates, including in 2012, 2016, and most recently in February 2024.
- 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 a basis for accountability- Advertisement -
The Jamaican public agrees that debates are important. Key findings in polls conducted after the 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 they inform 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%
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