Political debates

Dharmendra Kumar, Suva

Candidate debates are not constitutionally mandated, but it is considered to be an important element in choosing the right candidate.

In the United States, the presidential debates are held late in the election cycle. The debates are targeted mainly at undecided voters; those who tend not to be partial to any political party.

The advantage of a political debate is that it stimulates voter interest and educate voters quickly.

A good political debate will allow voters to assess potential leader’s intellect and check their moral compass.

A lot of campaign promises have been made and some are no doubt, unrealistic.

A political debate will help settle the matters on issues such as retirement age, scholarships, the Great Council of Chiefs and other important policies.

If the debate does happen then we as voters will have the opportunity to identify false promises.

When you put people in the spotlight, they may try to wriggle out or evade truth.

My dream team for this particular political debate would be; Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, the Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka, Opposition leader Ro Teimumu Kepa, National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad and Unity Fiji Party leader Savenaca Narube.

A political debate is like a job interview and we as the interview panel look for certain traits as to who gets the job.