Even as they agreed to face each other in the traditional three political debates, albeit with major changes this general election cycle, the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) on Tuesday continued to accuse each other of leaking sensitive information discussed with the Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC).

The back-and-forth started with a statement from the PNP last Thursday in which the party expressed “deep concern” over what it said were delays by the JLP in finalising arrangements for the upcoming debates.

The PNP said despite repeated confirmations the JLP had missed two critical planning meetings with the JDC, including one set for last Thursday. According to the PNP, when contacted, the JLP’s designated negotiator, Delroy Williams, indicated he was in May Pen and unavailable, despite having confirmed the meeting in advance.

The PNP called the delays unacceptable and urged the JLP to “stop the political gamesmanship, respect the commission’s schedule, and commit in good faith to completing the debate arrangements without further delay”.

“The Jamaican people deserve robust, timely, and transparent debates, not stalling tactics,” the party added.

Then on Saturday, a Jamaica Observer report attributed to the JLP claimed the PNP was objecting to two particular journalists being part of the panel and had blacklisted one media house. The JLP later distanced itself from the statement; however, JDC Chairman Brian Schmidt pointed out that the withdrawn article highlighted details of the discussions which could harm the reputations of the journalists named.

“As it was specifically requested and agreed by both parties that the negotiations be held in confidence, the JDC is extremely disappointed at this breach,” the JDC said.

“We owe it to the Jamaican public to proceed with the agreed programme of activities in good faith and with appropriate confidentiality,” it added.

During Tuesday’s press conference, at which the JDC chairman revealed details about the upcoming debates, the PNP’s Colin Campbell read from a prepared statement when asked to comment on the leak of information and the alleged hard-line stance taken by the Opposition.

“The PNP has been a keen and vigorous participant in the planning of these debates and at all times we have put our positions forthrightly and honestly in a democratic spirit and in a competitive framework,” he said.

He explained that since February when the PNP began to settle the parameters for the 2025 political debates, “it was always in an atmosphere of give and take”.

Campbell divulged that the PNP did not support a team format for the debate on the economy “but ended up adjusting our position after the JLP enthusiastically grabbed the chance for the economy to be debated by a crowd”. He said recent controversy over the no-objection opportunities “threatened the usual harmony and esprit de corps in which these proceedings have always gone”.

Campbell said the PNP exercised its normal right to object and did so to three of the 21 proposals which were made by the JDC.

“We blacklisted no media house, nor could we, since it is the JDC that is clothed with the authority to decide. The blacklisting charge is unworthy and patently ridiculous,” said Campbell.

He said that while the 2025 poll is a high-stakes election, “the leaking of information from our deliberation is inexcusable and represents a low point in the 23-year history of the Jamaica Debates Commission”.

The former Member of Parliament and Cabinet member said the PNP is ready and prepared to participate in the debates “and will not let any differences rob the Jamaican people of the political debates”.

Meanwhile, the JLP’s Delroy Williams said his party “has been very clear through the general secretary’s office that it did not make the media release”.

He said, having informed the JDC and Campbell that he would be unavoidably absent from a meeting, he was surprised to see a media release from the PNP on the matter.

“So it began there [and] Mr Campbell, respectfully, the release to the media about conversations within the Jamaica Debates Commission [was unacceptable],” Williams said.

Regarding objections to moderators and questioners, Williams insisted that the JLP did not take a hard position on any of them. “We had an objection but we said our objection was soft, that we had reasons for our objection but that any choice the Debates Commission made we would accept that,” he said.

The JLP candidate for the Clarendon Central seat said all the journalists listed are good journalists who would add value to the debates.

When asked about the PNP’s objections to journalists from a particular media house, Campbell said, “We thought it was necessary to explain the position of the People’s National Party. We’re not ashamed of our objections; we stated our reasons for the objections.

“We objected to three people, the JLP objected to four. My objections were independent of the JLP objections. They were not attached, the JLP attempted to get us to negotiate, settling between the list. I categorically said no, the JDC reserves the right to take all decisions regarding their product. The product is not ours, we’ve agreed to participate in the debates but it is not our debates”.

Also, Campbell said the statement from the PNP last Thursday did not come out of a meeting with the JDC. He explained that the two JDC commissioners and himself sat and waited on the JLP for over two-and-a-half hours. “They didn’t show, we did not have a meeting. In the end when we were leaving this building, and we got Delroy on the phone, but we did not have a meeting, we did not take information out of a JDC meeting. We spoke on the phone trying to set up another meeting since this one fell through,” he said.

Campbell said the PNP felt it had to “hold the JLP’s hand to the fire to get them around the table to agree” on the debates.

Williams said the issue for the JLP was that even while the PNP was saying the final decision about panellists rested with the JDC it was still saying it would not participate in the debates if a particular journalist was involved, whether as a moderator or questioner.

“That is the position that we were responding to, the JLP position was always very clear, that the decision of the JDC is final,” he said.