To Debate or Not to Debate?

Yolanda Schakron

Today, in the midst of the melee surrounding Nomination Day, the incumbent Mayor and the businesswoman, who wants to unseat him, also spoke on the issue of a mayoral debate. Both have markedly different stories where that debate is concerned, but here’s one story you can take to the bank – there isn’t going to be any debate, at least not between these two candidates.

Yolanda Schakron, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate, Belize City

“I did call for a debate; Mister Bradley did not answer. So right now he has decided after he called me that I am stupid to give up my salary for scholarship, he wants a debate. Now we had called that from a long time. To me what the problem seem with Darrell that he wants things at his timing and his way. I have a lot of things to do. I have to pound the pavement; I have to reach every resident of this city to tell them what our plan is. On the debate, we have not decided yet because it is either his way or the highway; I noh deh pon dat.”

Darrell Bradley

Darrell Bradley, Incumbent U.D.P. Mayoral Candidate, Belize City

“Debates in the last cycle, occurred because of various N.G.O. organizations, education institutions, independent entities, media houses would have invited the parties. This term I didn’t receive any invitation, any requests; I didn’t receive any request from Miss Schakron herself. Debates are something that we always welcome because it is an opportunity to get at the ideas and the crux of the candidates and to see what they really have to their core in terms of their character and what they offer to electoral office. And that is something that we have welcomed and that we would welcome even though it is a short period of time. But I have received no invitation. I like how you phrase questions. There is no division between Miss Schakron and myself. Some of the things that I’ve heard that she has thrown out are ideas that I like and I think could be cultivated to create for a better environment within the city. Our problem is not with the opposition, our problem is not with Miss Schakron, our problem is with poverty and decaying streets and being really focused on doing the job that people elected us for and getting out ideas which are tangible and a debate has that use. So that I welcome that such a thing, but I just haven’t received any invitation for it.”