The Harvard Republican Club and the Harvard-Radcliffe Democrats have challenged each other to a series of debates tentatively scheduled for the opening of the Kennedy School of Government.

The debates will be the first held between the two clubs in recent times, Brad Artson '81, secretary of the Harvard-Radcliffe Democrats, said yesterday.

"We challenged them to a debate many times last year and they kept saying 'no,' that they'd rather do it within their own club," Artson said. "Now they've finally accepted."

But Ken Lucero '79, vice president of the Harvard Republican Club, told a different story.

"The Republicans approached the Democrats about the debate," Lucero said.

The first debate topic will be a national health care plan for the United States, Kathleen A. Duey '79, president of the Republican Club, said.

"We hope to hold a second debate on foreign policy soon afterwards," Duey said.

Both sides have said they have opposing views of the topics.

"The Republicans want to try to limit the amount of money spent on national programs. We want a tighter budget," Lucero said.

"The main difference between us is that the Democrats feel this country has an obligation to maintain a minimum standard of health for its citizens," Artson said.

No dates have been set for the debates yet, but both sides said they hoped to get started by the time the Kennedy School of Government opens in late October