Debates should not be seasonal
Published:Saturday | August 23, 2025 | 12:06 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
The national debate between PM Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding is a good idea. However, it would be good if a looming general election did not have to be the catalyst for such a debate to take place. That said, such a debate is necessary, is good for the country’s democracy, and may serve to assist the undecided voters among the electorate to make up their minds about which party’s candidate to vote for.
While it is natural and understandable – for both major political parties and their respective leaders to weigh in on, critically or otherwise, about which journalists will conduct one or more of the national debates – that should not be the deciding factor, re whether, or not, they agree to participate in the debates.
Notably in national political debates the debaters are not the only individuals who will be judged by the onlooking public. The participating journalists and how they conduct themselves vis-à-vis the relevance, validity and intellectual strength of the questions they ask and also the level of professionalism they exercise will be on full display and will, most certainly, be judged by John and Jane Public. Good journalists should always be fair, balanced, sceptical and objective in the execution of their duties.
PATRICK GALLIMORE