Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 Needs Presidential Debates: Lessons from the US

⭕ Last night's presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump for the 2024 US 🇺🇸Presidential election highlighted the importance of debates in presidential elections.

⭕ The debate confirmed concerns about Joe Biden's cognitive decline, which many had previously dismissed as opposition attacks. The unfiltered view shocked everybody in the US, and there are now serious discussions about potentially replacing Biden on the Democratic ticket.

⭕ In Sri Lanka 🇱🇰, we don't have presidential debates. Candidates hide behind marketing campaigns, media portrayals, and practiced speeches. Voters have to rely on these to decide who they're going to vote for. If we had debates, our 2015 and 2019 elections might have turned out differently

⭕ In this election cycle in Sri Lanka, despite their differences, each of the three main candidates has a non-zero chance of getting elected. A strong debate performance could be a game changer for any candidate.

If the public truly demands it, the candidates would have to debate. This time we may have a unique opportunity to start a culture of presidential debates, which would be a wonderful addition to Sri Lanka's democratic process.