DEMOCRATS TRADE DEBATE CHALLENGES; GOVERNOR CANDIDATES EACH OFFER THEIR OWN SITES, DATES.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

The Democratic candidates for governor say they want to hold debates, but so far they haven't been able to agree on a time or place.

The only progress has been the promise by the three campaigns to appear at a candidates forum today at 10 a.m. at East Los Angeles College, 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park.

Rep. Jane Harman of Torrance has issued two challenges to her opponents, Lt. Gov. Gray Davis and businessman Al Checchi, without receiving a response from either camp, but might miss the forum today because of personal commitments.

Up until Friday, Harman campaign manager Kam Kuwata said he has been frustrated by the lack of response from the other campaigns.

Kuwata has proposed at least two debates, one April 26 in Fresno and a second May 15 in San Diego.

``Our view is we don't want protracted negotiations,'' Kuwata said. ``We have two invitations, and we've said we will be there.''

But Davis campaign manager Garry South came up with his own proposal, one designed to embarrass the well-heeled campaigns of his opponents.

South proposed five debates, one each in the last five weeks of the campaign. He also suggested that Checchi and Harman limit their television advertising to $1 million a week in each of those weeks.

``This proposal offers several advantages,'' South wrote his counterparts. ``Voters would not have to depend so heavily on glossy, feel-good spots or 30-second attack ads to influence their decision. Second, it would make all candidates more accountable for the use of negative commercials.''

For his part, the Checchi campaign came up with its own debate proposal.

Campaign manager Darry Sragow said the only meaningful debates would be ones that are televised statewide.

And, he added, in this first year of an open primary election in which voters can cross party lines, Attorney General Dan Lungren, the presumptive Republican nominee, should be included in the debates.

``We are holding a slew of invitations from very specific special interest groups with their own agenda,'' Sragow said. ``It takes just as much time to prepare for a debate where there would only be several hundred people as it does to prepare for a statewide televised debate. That would be our preference and we think the television stations would do this as a public service as they did in 1990 and 1994.''

Debates are particularly important this year because of the amount of money Checchi and Harman are throwing into television commercials, said Xandra Kayden, president of the League of Women Voters in Los Angeles.

``Without debates, there is no way for the people to get an opportunity to see the candidates as they might appear in office,'' Kayden said. ``They have the (television) ads and mailers, but even if you can see them make a speech, it is not in a situation where someone can challenge them, bring them to task.''

Kuwata said for that reason Harman has been pushing for debates, even though she is the narrow leader of the race in independent public opinion polls.

``Davis and Checchi have been saying all sorts of things over her voting and attendance and she wants an opportunity to respond,'' Kuwata said.

Davis' interest was in making sure a debate did occur, with the maximum possible exposure, South said.

``This is not a candidate who can take millions of dollars from his own pocket,'' South said. ``We are more than willing to debate, are eager to debate and believe they will come about, but it won't happen by just spontaneous combustion.''