Bush and Kerry agree on election debates

WASHINGTON - The campaigns of Republican President George W Bush and Democrat John Kerry reached an agreement on Monday to have three face-to-face presidential debates, starting on September 30 in Coral Gables, Florida.

In a joint statement, the campaigns said the first of the televised debates would focus on foreign policy and homeland security. The second, scheduled for October 8 in St Louis, Missouri, will cover "all subjects." The final debate, on October 13 in Tempe, Arizona, will focus on domestic and economic policy.

The presidential debates could prove pivotal in the closely fought November 2 election between Bush and Kerry, who battled over the Iraq war on Monday in a possible debate prelude.

"President Bush's campaign and Senator Kerry's campaign have entered into a memorandum of understanding that will govern these debates," Bush's lead representative, former Secretary of State James Baker, and Kerry's top debate negotiator, Washington lawyer Vernon Jordan, said in the joint statement.

"The debates will provide an opportunity for President Bush and Senator Kerry to have a serious discussion about the important issues to be decided in this election," they added.

They also announced agreement on a vice presidential debate between incumbent Dick Cheney and Kerry's running mate, Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. It will take place on October 5 in Cleveland and will cover all topics.

Bush's campaign had originally wanted to limit the debates to two presidential ones and a vice presidential debate, instead of the three presidential debates recommended by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates and quickly endorsed by Kerry.

However, in the end the Bush campaign decided to go with all three, apparently to avoid an extended argument about the debates that could detract from Bush's campaign message.

The commission said last week it needed an agreement by Monday in order to arrange the events.

A snag had been the format of an Oct. 8 town-hall-meeting debate. The Bush campaign was concerned about the event in St Louis because questioners were to include undecided voters and the Bush camp did not trust the process for choosing them.

Bush agreed to the town-hall format in St Louis, and aides said the make-up of the audience had yet to be determined.

Polls at this point offer a mixed picture, with Bush holding a clear lead in some but others showing an even race.

- REUTERS