The island’s economy and the condition of its roads rank highly in the minds of Bermuda’s voters minds ahead of the General Election on February 18.

The Royal Gazette took to the streets of Hamilton yesterday after the ruling Progressive Labour Party voiced an interest in a national debate with Bermuda’s two other political parties, as well as independent candidates.

This comes after weeks of negotiations on an open discussion featuring the Gazette, Bermuda Broadcasting Corporation, Bernews and activist group Bermuda Youth Connect.

A BYC spokeswoman said: “We look forward to drafting debate terms in a format that benefits the Bermudian electorate and youth first.”

A statement said the PLP planned to discuss “how we’ve worked to build a fairer Bermuda during these difficult times for the world” throughout the debate, which it said should be jointly organised and sponsored by Bermuda’s various media companies.

When questioned about what she would ask any of the 110 confirmed election candidates, Sandys resident Tiffany Turini explained: “Things are frustrating right now financially, so I want to know what ideas they have that would make the island much better for Bermudians.”

Wanda Correia, from Paget, said she too would also ask about candidates’ plans for the economy.

Joshua Stevens, another Sandys resident, would question how candidates running for office planned to attract the island’s college graduates to return to a life back home in Bermuda.

Tonae Trott, from Sandys, said that she wanted to hear solutions for “the state of the roads — when is that going to be addressed in its entirety?”

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