AFC suspicious of NCN Presidential Debate - … has never in the past demonstrated a propensity to be impartial - Ramjattan
November 8, 2011 | By KNews | Filed Under News
Source - kaieteur News
Presidential Candidate of the Alliance For Change, Khemraj Ramjattan, says that at present he is very suspicious of the Presidential Debate slated to be facilitated by the National Communications Network.
He says that his participation will be based on an assessment of the terms and conditions of that debate given that NCN, in the past, has never demonstrated a propensity to be impartial.
Ramjattan did say that as long as they can be assured that the debate will be professionally moderated and with no special favours for the People’s Progressive Party Civic Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar in place then he will have no problem participating.
He said that he does not want it to be a case where Ramotar is provided with an audience that cheers everything he says regardless of if it is nonsense or not and booing the opposition speakers even when they make salient points.
Ramjattan says that at present he has no problems as it relates to the debate arranged by the University of Guyana and has no hesitation participating in that one.
On Friday last, Campaign Spokesperson for the PPP/C, Robert Persaud, said that Ramotar will be taking part in two Presidential Debates in the run-up to the 2011 Presidential Debates.
Persaud told media operatives that all of the pre-requirements that they had insisted be in place have been satisfied.
The debate will be on Thursday in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, “and we would expect the other political parties will participate.”
Persaud announced too that as a result of time being available for Ramotar he has also agreed to a second round of debating.
He said that the party has received an invitation from the National Communications Network which has indicated that it will be facilitating a Presidential Debate with all of the political parties contesting.
That debate is expected to be held on November 15.
Persaud said that he wanted to make the announcement in light of what he calls a plethora of misrepresentations. “In fact the opposition has been suggesting that Mr Ramotar is dodging although we made it quite clear that once we have the available time and the arrangements are put in place we would participate.”
He said that the debates would serve as a forum for continued and an enlightened form of interaction with the wider public.
One such debate that was previously organized and for which Ramotar came in for some criticism was done by Merundoi.
On that occasion the Presidential Candidates of Guyana’s opposition parties signed up but the ruling party’s candidate did not.
No reason was given for the non-confirmation of Donald Ramotar of the incumbent People’s Progressive Party.
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