Today at 19:02
On social media, a Cyrillic hashtag #Хочубачитидебати, meaning I Want To See Debates appeared after the first round of presidential elections in Ukraine. The Debate Challenge was launched by the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine.
“Just in one day, from the time when we created the event on Facebook, 100,000 people already joined it. This is without Instagram users, Twitter, Telegram, where our tag also spread. The main message is that people want to see a real debate on an independent TV channel,” Media and PR Department Director of the public broadcasting company of Ukraine, Viktoria Sydorenko said.
This is the studio in the Kyiv Television center that was supposed to host the election debate. According to the Law on the Election of the President of Ukraine, this public broadcaster has to ensure it is held. But the format of the event is determined by the Central Election Commission.
“Now, the whole creative team is waiting for instructions from the Central Election Commission to understand how to work with this format, how to prepare, what will be the timekeeping. We would like to have thematic blocks that are in line with the powers of the president, so that the presenters and experts can ask the candidates questions. And, of course, some things like live fact-cheking, which we worked out in the first round,” Sydorenko said.
Incumbent Head of State, Petro Poroshenko, immediately after the announcement of the results by exit polls following the first round, stated that it is necessary to hold debates before the second round of elections.
“So there is no doubt – the elections in the second round, and election debate, has to be the key element. The one who will shy away, he will know, that he has nothing to say,” he said.
On April 3, Volodymyr Zelensky challenged Ukraine’s current leader to a debate by an online video. He offered to hold the election debate not in the studio of the public broadcaster, but at the National Olimpiyskyi Sports Complex.
“The debate will be held before the people of Ukraine. All TV channels have the right to broadcast the debate live, all journalists have the right to be present,” he said.
That night, Poroshenko responded to Zelensky. He agreed to the debate anywhere, even at the stadium. But warned not to turn the important event into a show.
“Debates aren’t held for the sake of a show in a stadium. Debates are a serious discussion about the strategies of Ukraine’s developments. They’re about Ukraine’s values, its historical path, and about its priorities. The country isn’t simply voting. It is placing its trust and fate in who they vote for,” Poroshenko said.
Political analyst Igar Tyshkevich explains that debating is not Zelensky’s strongest point. However, the showman wants to turn it in his favor.
“What are they hoping for at the headquarters of Petro Poroshenko? They believe that the election debate will be strong, that Petro Poroshenko will crush Zelensky with difficult questions, including his program. But if Zelenskyi makes a show from it, then I’m sorry, it will already hurt to look at Petro Poroshenko,” he said.
Representatives of the public broadcaster declared their readiness to hold debates both in their studio and at the National Olimpiyskyi Sports Complex. The final decision must be made by the Central Election Commission.
