KINGSTON, Jamaica — Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and Prime Minister Andrew Holness and People’s National Party (PNP ) President, Dr Peter Phillips have knocked heads on the use of states of emergency (SOE) to tackle the country’s crime problem.

The two are facing off in tonight’s leadership debate, which is the final in a series of three debates in the lead up to the September 3 general election.

Asked about his decision to continue voting for an extension in SOEs despite stating that the measure is a “prolonged wholesale infringement of the rights of Jamaicans,” Phillips said the JLP Administration did not provide alternatives, and while it was a difficult choice, his party made the right one

“There were two principles that were at stake. One is the obvious need to have a response to the problem of mounting crime. The Government refused to provide any other alternative,” he said.

Phillips noted that the Opposition continued to make its case while advocating for a different approach to crime and murder control as “we believe that there is a way other than relying on states of emergency to deal with hotspot policing, intelligence led policing and one which recognises the rights of citizens ”.

Holness, in his rebuttal, defended the use of SOEs to address crime, stating that the people called for SOEs.

He recalled that it was “grief and panic” when the Opposition voted to end the security measure in St James.

“…The SOEs have been very effective in controlling the murder and crime pandemic. It has flattened the murder curve in Jamaica.”

Tonight’s debate is being moderated by Dervan Malcolm, while the questioners are Dionne Jackson Miller of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group and Press Association of Jamaica President George Davis.

Questions are being fielded from social media by Marjorie Gordon of Nationwide News network.