KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) on Thursday said it is disappointed by the People’s National Party decision not to participate in political debates ahead of the upcoming general election. Read: #DecisionJa2016: It’s final, PNP will not debate

The PNP’s decision was conveyed in a letter from the party’s General Secretary Paul Burke to the JDC yesterday.

In the letter, Burke stated: stated “… Based on the attitude of Mr Holness and the fact that we find his answers to the integrity issues lacking, unsatisfactory and not credible, which is one matter; but equally important, is his obstinate refusal to do the right thing and apologise to the President of the People’ National Party and for his retraction and apology for his irresponsible and potentially dangerous statement at Sam Sharpe Square on Sunday 7th February, leaves us with us with no other option, but to decline.”

In registering its disappointment through a news release today, the JDC noted that since 2002, successive governing and opposition parties have found it possible to set aside or resolve their issues so that they could participate in the political debates in the national interest, acknowledging that Jamaicans at home and abroad deserve the chance to assess, through a fair and convenient forum, the competing visions, policies and programmes of those putting themselves forward to lead the nation.

Also, according to the JDC, in professional surveys conducted independently after the last two debates, the majority of the public “unequivocally noted that the JDC’s political debates have assisted them in clarifying if not arriving at their decisions on how they eventually voted”.

“The Commission truly regrets this outcome, but as can be seen, did everything possible to continue the recent but rich tradition of civil political debates,” the release said. “The JDC will re-double its efforts to give itself additional flexibility and options for the staging of debates in the future.”