Sierra Leone`s two main presidential hopefuls will have the opportunity to explain their policies to a national audience in the first ever head-to-head presidential debate on October 30.The governing APC`s President Ernest Bai Koroma and his SLPP challenger in the November 17 poll, former junta leader, Brigadier (rtd) Julius Maada Bio, will engage each other in a 90-minute debate that will be broadcast live on national radio
The debate will also be recorded for television and distribution around the country through various means, including cinema halls.
The debate organisers, comprising a group of eight organizations led by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalist (SLAJ), hope that it will add credibility to the electoral process by helping the electorate make informed choice between the two main contenders.
"Good quality political debating between the leaders of the major contesting political parties during the run-up to national elections is fast becoming a positive indicator of democratic progress to enable voters make informed decisions" said SLAJ President Umaru Fofana.