State-owned Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) is set to host a leadership exchange tomorrow but it is unlikely that Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley will participate.
So far, the only person who has confirmed attendance for the July 30 is Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has refused to engage in a national debate hosted by the T&T Debates Commission (TTDC) unless the commission agrees to accede to several demands, which include the power to reject the moderator, members of an anonymous panel and the production team, including the technical director.
The TTDC has fixed August 20 and 27 for the leaders’ debate and said the show would go on with the parties who are desirous of participating in its event.
In an interview yesterday, Rowley said he would not participate in a debate with Persad-Bissessar as he has had no correspondence from her.
“The Prime Minister speaks for herself when she says she is ready for a debate with me. She and I are in no conversation for a debate. That is as much as I am prepared to say on that,” Rowley told the T&T Guardian.
Asked whether he would be participating in the debate hosted by the TTDC, Rowley said: “We have a commitment to the Debates Commission on the conditions that they have laid down and we have given our position on that.”
He declined to answer any more questions. Previously, however, Rowley had said he would participate in a leaders’ debate, as prescribed in the stipulations discussed with them by the TTDC, once it was staged after nomination day (August 17).
Also contacted yesterday, CNMG CEO Ken Ali said letters had been sent to Rowley inviting him to participate in the debate scheduled to take place from 8 pm and will be carried live on CTV and Talk City 91.1 FM.
He said the debate would be 90 minutes long and the Prime Minister had confirmed attendance.
Ali noted that CNMG decided to host the event after the TTDC cancelled a provisional booking to host the national leadership debate at CNMG’s studios.
“On July 15, 2015, CNMG wrote to Persad-Bissessar, as leader of the PP, and Rowley, leader of the PNM, inviting them to participate in a leadership debate.
“On that date, CNMG also wrote to the heads of TV6 and CNC3, inviting their participation in a joint event, and proposing that the debate be moderated by the presenters of the three respective morning television talk shows,” Ali said.
He said while Persad-Bissessar responded on July 17, accepting CNMG’s invitation, Rowley has never responded to the invitation to participate.
Ali said while there had been meetings with representatives of TV6 and CNC3, they had not confirmed whether or not they would be participating.
Promising the debate would be “a fair and balanced discussion aimed at airing the major national issues,” Ali said he remained hopeful Rowley would be part of it.
“The invitation remains open for his participation,” Ali said.
Efforts to contact the PM’s negotiator for the leaders’ debate, Larry Lalla, were unsuccessful yesterday as calls to his cellular phone went unanswered.