First ever Presidential Debate for 2020 election |12 September 2020
Judge Bernardin Renaud
Judge Bernardin Renaud and freelance journalist Patsy Canaya chosen as moderators
Judge Bernardin Renaud and freelance journalist Patsy Canaya will be the moderators for the upcoming presidential debates ahead of the October 22-24, 2020 elections.
The debates will be aired live on the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) television.
This news was announced yesterday by the deputy chief executive of SBC, Jude Louange, who noted that preparations are ongoing for this historic event and they are still finalising the place where the debates will take place.
Seychelles NATION contacted both moderators as soon as the news was out and they both acknowledged that this is a huge responsibility.
Judge Bernardin Renaud is a famous personality of Seychelles who has participated in many “first” events. What does this mean for him?
“I am taking this responsibility very seriously. This debate will bring together the great political personages of the country. It will be a great task to moderate them and make them stay within the framework of the debate. This does require certain qualities and I will try my best to help the population understand the different messages and help them make their choice.”
Patsy Canaya told our journalist that this debate is “a first of its kind”.
“As a journalist, it is a great honour for me and I was happy when SBC approached me for this assignment. Personally it is another milestone in my career. When looking at the different countries, many people ask if Seychellois cannot do this kind of job. I am going to give my best and will try to make us journalists proud.”
Two debates between the presidential candidates have been planned for October 9 and 16, 2020. To make this exercise a fair one and to involve the electorate in this democratic exercise, SBC is inviting members of the public to contribute questions on their online site for the debates. All questions will then be scrutinised by a panel before they chose the final ones for the debates.
Members of the public have until September 15, to submit their questions.
Vidya Gappy
