Governor de Jongh Will Not Participate in East Enders Association Political Forum

Invitation Extended to the Democratic Gubernatorial Team on the Day of the Event

DeJongh-Francis 2010 Chairman Robert O’Connor, Jr. said Monday he was very disappointed that a group of citizens, East Enders Association, would organize and promote a political forum for the two gubernatorial candidates without exercising fairness to all involved and waiting until the day of the event to invite Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. to participate.

“The actions of this organization led by Andrea King’s attempting to put on a last minute event and advertise it as a debate between the gubernatorial candidates is politically charged and was clearly an attempt to give Ken Mapp an open public forum,” O’Connor said Monday. 

O’Connor said that on September 25th a news release was issued publicly indicating that the deJongh-Francis 2010 Committee had accepted the invitation of five community groups and organizations for political forums and debates leading up to the November 2nd General Election. “We participated in four of the five forums and the last once scheduled for last week Tuesday was cancelled by the host organization when Ken Mapp attempted to change the rules of the forum less than 24 hours before it was to be held. Mapp also complained at the last minute that the previously approved moderator was unacceptable to him and his running mate which also contributed to the debates cancellation,” O’Connor said. 

With the exception of two public school forums on St. Thomas Tuesday and on St. Croix Thursday, neither the governor or lieutenant governor will be participating in any additional forums or debates before next week’s general election.

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