A political debate between the leaders of the two main political parties contesting the June 5 general election will most likely not be held, after only the leader of the main opposition St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) Dr. Denzil Douglas responded to the invitation.
The management of the radio station WINNFM wrote to Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris, the leader of the governing coalition Team Unity and Douglas regarding the debate.
While the office of the prime minister acknowledged receiving the May 25 letter, the radio station reported in a statement that “there is no official response to the challenge,” while “on the other hand, the SKNLP wrote to WINN agreeing to the debate.”
WINN FM’s Chairman Garth Wilkin agreed to facilitate the debate after Douglas made the request during his appearance on a current affairs program on the radio station.
“The WINN letter offered to arrange a debate on or before June 2 with the highest level of diplomacy and respect, without vitriolic statements or allegations of misconduct,” the statement said.
In the letter, Wilkin wrote that the debate would be in the Lincoln-Douglas Format, “an open style of debate, which places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy.”
Wilkin said that the station had envisioned that the leaders would agree on time limits and topics that would cover the future socio-economic development of the twin-island Federation as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, and a question voted on by the general public, which will be provided to each participant at least two days before the debate.
Douglas said that the SKNLP, which was voted out of office in 2015, had used the time for “active listening, sober reflection and conscious learning,” in order to ensure that its platform is “reflective of the dreams, hopes and aspirations of the people as well as their expectations of their leaders.”
