The Prime Ministerial Debate is Off

Today was the deadline for the leaders of political parties to confirm participation on the touted prime ministerial debate organized by the Belize Chamber of Commerce, the Galen University and Love Foundation.  At news time, it is known that only Nancy Marin from B.N.F. showed up for a meeting this afternoon by the B.C.C.I., so the read is that the two major political parties will not participate.  The representatives from the B.P.P. and the B.N.F. immediately accepted the invitation, but individually these two parties have been unable to field even fifty percent of the candidates in the thirty-one constituencies. News Five understands that a letter sent by the P.U.P. was not even acknowledged by the organizers. The B.C.C.I. has been feverishly pushing forward, relying on the rules of the Jamaica Debate Commission, but there have been holes left unplugged along the way.  So tonight, there is no agreement on the holding of the October twenty-eighth debate.