First presidential debate to take place at 2:30 p.m. today

The debate will last two hours and 45 minutes and will air live on Channel 13. It will be divided into four stages.

During the first two stages, which will last one hour each, both candidates will take turns to answer videotaped questions raised by 20 citizens and follow-up questions on such issues as the identity of Taiwan and its people, Taiwan’s participation in the Kyoto Protocol, same-sex marriage, the promotion of Aboriginal culture, social welfare, and the development of the nation’s economy.

The 20 representatives are singled out from as many as 456 people contributed questions to the PeoPo, a Web site set up for the general public to express their concerns on the Internet over the candidates, their policies and the future of Taiwan during campaign period. They include Lo Chao-hsun, who is known for heckling President Chen Shui-bian in public and Su Chien-ho, a convicted murderer whose controversial death sentence is still under review by the Taiwan High Court.

The third stage, lasting nine minutes, will be a cross-questioning session between both candidates, during which each candidate can raise three questions for his opponent to answer and vice versa.

At the fourth stage, both Hsieh and Ma are expected to make three-minute remarks concluding their views and perspectives.

The debate is jointly organized by six news media organizations: the Central News Agency, the Public Television Service Foundation, The China Times, the Liberty Times, the United Daily News and the Apple Daily, but is held by the Public Television Service Foundation.

According to the organizers, each camp will be allowed to have 30 supporters present at the debate site, and the aforementioned 20 representatives will also be invited to the site to offer follow-up questions for both presidential candidates to answer.

The same news media will organize a second presidential debate on March 9, which will be a traditional one, with representatives of the six organizers being responsible for presenting questions, in addition to cross-questioning by both candidates.

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