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Candidates disqualified from prime-time Republican debate next week

Xinhua, November 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

Due to declining polling numbers, two presidential candidates -- New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee -- have been disqualified for the prime-time debate in the fourth round of Republican presidential debates next week.

Still, Christie and Huckabee will join former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to attend the earlier debate scheduled at 7 p.m. EST (0000 GMT) next Tuesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Fox Business Network said Thursday.

They became the first top-tier Republican candidates who were relegated to the undercard round, which will have a smaller audience compared to the prime-time debate at 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT).

Meanwhile, former New York Governor George Pataki and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham will not be qualified for any of the two debates.

The GOP candidates must gain at least 2.5 percent of support in the four most recent national polls in order to qualify for the prime-time debate, and at least 1 percent of support in one of those polls to participate in the undercard debate, according to the rules set by the Fox Business, the sponsor of the debate.

Billionaire Donald Trump will appear at the center stage in the prime-time debate, flanked by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

Other candidates who will join the prime-time debate include Texas Senator Ted Cruz, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Ohio Governor John Kasich, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Endi