National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC) has the technical capability to broadcast debates between presidential candidates Volodymyr Zelenskiy and incumbent President Petro Poroshenko from Kyiv’s Olympiyskiy Stadium, but it is still too early to call them debates, Kyiv-based Hromadske.ua TV said, citing UA:PBC’s press service.
UA:PBC press service refers to the statute of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC) on conducting debates from 2014, where it is stipulated that debates are conducted in the studio (room) of the national broadcasting company.
“Therefore, it’s up to the CEC. If it adopts a new statute replacing the old one then the debates are possible. If not, it will be a show, or a discussion, but not debates,” Hromadske says, citing UA:PBC’s press service.
As reported, Poroshenko after the first round of the presidential election said election debates should be held before the second round on April 21.
“Second round elections. A key element must be debates,” Poroshenko told journalists on March 31 in Kyiv.
UA:PBC invited presidential candidates who reached the second round to take part in debates. The corresponding invitation was posted to UA:PBC’s website on April 1. Television and radio stations of the national broadcaster may provide venues for an independent discussion of candidates on equal terms, UA:PBC said.
On April 3, Zelenskiy challenged Poroshenko to appear for debates at a stadium in Kyiv and fulfill several conductions.
“I address to Petro Poroshenko. You call me to debate. You dreamed that I would escape. No. I am not you in 2014th. I take up the challenge. Here are my conditions: I am waiting for you here, at the NSC Olympiyskiy, the debate will take place in front of the people of Ukraine. All TV channels have a right to live broadcast the debate. All journalists have a right to be present here,” Zelenskiy said on Facebook on April 3.
During the evening of April 4, Poroshenko on Twitter responded with a video clip responding to Zelenskiy about taking part in debates at the stadium.
“The rules of the debate are spelled out in the law on presidential elections. Please, read them. Debates can take place on the basis of UA:PBC and broadcast on all TV channels for tens of millions of people. A stadium is a stadium. I’m waiting for you, Voldymyr Oleksandrovych,” Poroshenko said.
He also recalled that the debate of presidential candidates is not a show, but a serious discussion about the development strategy of the state, its values, its historical choice and priorities. He said the election campaign determines the future of the country for years and future decades.
