Asian Parliamentary Debating Format

Asian Parliamentary (AP) is a widely practiced debate format, particularly in Asian countries and among high school debaters globally. It features two teams of three speakers each: the Government (Proposition) and the Opposition.

The format emphasizes clear argumentation, strong rebuttal, and the ability of speakers to build upon their teammates' cases while refuting the opposing side. It typically includes Points of Information (POIs) and a Reply Speech at the end.

Speaker Roles:

Government Side (Proposition)

1. Prime Minister (PM)

  • Defines the motion, outlines the Government's case, and presents the first set of arguments.
  • Sets the tone and framework for the Government's entire side.

Opposition Side

1. Leader of Opposition (LO)

  • Rebuts the Prime Minister's arguments and presents the Opposition's constructive case.
  • Can challenge the definition if it is unfair or irrelevant to the spirit of the motion.

Government Side (Proposition)

2. Deputy Prime Minister (DPM)

  • Rebuts the Leader of Opposition's arguments and further extends the Government's case with new arguments.
  • Reinforces the team's stance and addresses major attacks.

Opposition Side

2. Deputy Leader of Opposition (DLO)

  • Rebuts the Deputy Prime Minister and consolidates the Opposition's case with further arguments.
  • Provides a strong counter-narrative and highlights weaknesses in the Government's case.

Government Side (Proposition)

3. Government Whip (GW)

  • Summarizes the entire debate from the Government's perspective, highlighting their key arguments.
  • Provides extensive rebuttal to the Opposition's case, but introduces NO NEW substantial arguments.

Opposition Side

3. Opposition Whip (OW)

  • Summarizes the entire debate from the Opposition's perspective, emphasizing their key arguments.
  • Provides final, comprehensive rebuttal to the Government's case, but introduces NO NEW substantial arguments.

Reply Speeches:

Following the main speeches, each side delivers a shorter reply speech (usually 3-5 minutes). These are typically given by the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister for Government, and Leader of Opposition or Deputy Leader of Opposition for Opposition.

Reply speeches should provide a highly analytical summary of the debate, explaining why their side has won and highlighting the most important clashes, without introducing any new arguments.

Points of Information (POIs):

Similar to BP, POIs are short interventions offered by the opposing side during a speaker's constructive speech (typically between the 1st and last minute). Accepting POIs demonstrates confidence and engagement, while effectively denying too many can be strategic.