Statement Leaders Debate on Local Government In light of the unwillingness and refusal of the leader of the governing coalition, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, to participate in tomorrows scheduled Leaders Debate the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) will not be presenting our Interim Political Leader for the debate, which debate will not have present all the Political Leaders whose parties and coalitions are contesting the Local Government Election. The position of the ILP is consistent with the rules set by the Debates Commission that tomorrows debate is intended to be a debate among the Political Leaders and no substitutions would be allowed. When the ILP was first contacted by the Debates Commission the party and the Interim Political Leader publicly indicated our complete willingness and availability to engage the other Political Leaders in the much anticipated national debate on Local Government issues, however we indicated that the ILP would only participate in the debate if the leaders of all the political parties that are contesting the Local Government Elections would be present. The Peoples Partnership (PP) is a coalition that is led by the Political Leader of the United National Congress (UNC), Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, and not by any other official of any of the parties in the coalition. The Political Leader of the Congress of the People (COP) is not the leader of the government. For any debate to be meaningful, therefore, the leader of the PP must be present. The ILP views the October 21 Local Government Election as a referendum on the conduct and performance of the government and the PP, an opportunity to scrutinize the stewardship of the government and an opportunity for the government to be brought to account for its term thus far. Therefore the purpose of the debate would not be served if the leader of the PP is not present to field the questions of the Debates Commission. The refusal of the Prime Minister to participate in the debate would be be unfair to the parties whose political leaders offer themselves to be scrutinized while the leader of the government is not subject to the same scrutiny. Further, the purpose of the debate would not be served if the leaders of the parties that are in Opposition and that are challenging the government in the election debate among themselves while the leader of the government is not present to give the population a view of the full spectrum of the various parties that are competing for their vote. The ILP wishes to commend the Debates Commission for its well-intended initiative in organizing the Leaders Debate and wishes to respectfully suggest that since all arrangements are already in place for a debate tomorrow that the opportunity be used to hold a debate between the candidates for the St Joseph Bye Election. Respectfully Submitted, Jack Warner Interim Political Leader Independent Liberal Party Monday, October 14, 2013
Posted on: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 21:31:52 +0000