Kingston, Jamaica.  August 26, 2020. Twenty questions in 90-minutes, on a wide range of issues were asked, answered and rebutted on Tuesday evening in the first of three debates being staged under the auspices of the Jamaica Debates Commission, JDC.  The debate on social issues involved the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Dr. Christopher Tufton, Kamina Johnson Smith and Floyd Green on the one hand and Dr. Dayton Campbell, Lisa Hanna and Raymond Pryce of the People’s National Party (PNP) on the other.

The debate covered a wide range of topics, including curtailing waste and breaches in government contract procurement; problems with roads, water, education, crime and violence; as well as constitutional issues such as replacing the monarchy.

The major issue however surrounded the matter of how the country’s issues relating to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) would be managed after the General elections.  

In addition to the 20 questions posed directly, there were three follow-up questions as Natalie Campbell and Vashan Brown shared them evenly and Marjorie Gordon added questions posted in social media and on the JDC’s website.

When moderator Janella Precius called time on the debate, it marked the end of round one of three debates being staged by the JDC in 2020.

There were also debates watch sessions held by the JDC which recorded participants from every parish in Jamaica as well the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico.

The next debate in the series will be on Thursday August 27 when Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke will face the Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Mark Golding.  

On Saturday evening Prime Minister and JLP Leader Andrew Holness will face-off with PNP President and Opposition Leader, Dr. Peter Phillips.

The debate series is being aired on local television in Jamaica and via Caribvision in 18 other Caribbean countries as well as in the Tri-State region in the United States of America.  The debates can be viewed elsewhere globally via the JDC’s website www.jamaicadebatescommission.org, the Commission’s YouTube channel and its Facebook page.