The New Democratic Party (NDP) Young Democrats have announced the first annual Young Democrats Public Speaking Competition.{{more}}

The Zonal Competition, which consists of four Zones, began on March 15, and ended yesterday with the ZONE 4 – LEEWARDS competition at the Barrouallie Community Centre.

Debaters argued on the topic, ‘Transferring the management of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital to a statutory corporation will benefit all Vincentians’.

Prior to yesterday’s debate, there was the ZONE 1 – GRENADINES competition, held on March 15 at Democrat House under the topic, ‘The expansion of Caribbean Airlines into the Eastern Caribbean will spell the death of LIAT’. There was the ZONE 2 – WINDWARDS competition on March 16, at Lauders Community Centre on the topic, ‘Access to and use of all social networking media should be limited to people 21 years and over’ and the ZONE 3 – KINGSTOWNS, which took place on March 18, at Democrat House, on the subject, ‘The Speaker of the House is biased in his management of debates and control of proceedings in the National Assembly’.

The Final is scheduled to take place on April 23, at the Methodist Church Hall in Kingstown.

Approximately 20 participants competed in the Zonal Competitions, in which they argued for or against their assigned topics. The Zonal Competition consisted of the Main Topic and Impromptu Speech and the top seven participants will be moving on to the finals on Saturday, April 23, where they will compete in a Main Topic, Selected Topic and Impromptu Presentations, for the grand prize of an Apple I-PAD, Challenge Trophy and other prizes, including trips, cell phones and more.

The Goal of the Young Democrats Public Speaking Competition is to raise the level of the debate of the Young Democrats of the NDP and to encourage and develop their oral communication skills.

Members of the public are invited to support the Young Democrats in the Final.