Finger-pointing started up between two major candidates for Honolulu mayor after challenger Charles Djou bowed out of a scheduled live debate on Hawaii Public Radio.

The aborted debate, which was scheduled to be broadcast Monday night, would have been the first joint appearance by incumbent Mayor Kirk Caldwell, former Mayor Peter Carlisle and former U.S. Rep. Djou in the 2016 election season.

The fireworks started Thursday when Caldwell’s campaign staff issued a media release calling Djou out for backing out of the debate. Caldwell, in the release, said the cancellation reflects poorly on Djou and “shows that here is someone who is clearly not ready to make a sincere effort and talk about real issues.”

Djou’s camp, however, said Caldwell is misrepresenting the situation. Djou is unable to attend Monday’s forum due to a scheduling conflict, Djou press secretary Jon Kunimura said.

“His attendance at that forum was never confirmed because of miscommunication as to the date of the forum,” he said.

Djou has agreed to appear in at least eight other forums, including two Caldwell has yet to give a commitment to, Kunimura said.

Caldwell’s camp is making a big deal about the misunderstanding to deflect attention from city issues including “continuing neglect and mismanagement of our city’s core infrastructure,” Djou said in the release.

Hawaii Public Radio political reporter Wayne Yoshi-oka, who was coordinating the debate, said he received an email July 1 from Djou’s staff confirming that he would be at the studio Monday from 7 to 8 p.m.

But several days later Djou phoned him to say that he could not attend because “there was miscommunication from his staff,” Yoshioka said.

Yoshioka said he asked Djou campaign staffer Sam Aiona on Thursday whether there was an alternate date. When Aiona suggested today, Yoshioka asked for a time. At that point, he said, he never heard back from Djou’s campaign.

The program was to have been broadcast live on KHPR-FM 88.1 and videotaped by Olelo for broadcast on TV at a later date, Yoshioka said.

Carlisle said he hopes to have as many other opportunities as possible to appear with Caldwell and Djou. “I was willing to participate in HPR’s mayoral forum on Monday, and now that’s not happening,” he said.

With the HPR event canceled, the first time the three will appear on the same stage is on Thursday at a nonbroadcast forum at Blaisdell Center sponsored by the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association.

HLTA President and CEO Mufi Hannemann, himself a former mayor, said all three candidates are confirmed to appear. The event is open to members only, however.

As of Friday two broadcast gatherings of the three candidates are scheduled.

All three supposedly have agreed to appear at a half-hour forum on KITV on the night of July 28.

Liberty Peralta, vice president of community relations for PBS Hawaii, said all three candidates have confirmed they will appear for a live, hourlong forum on a special episode of “Insights” on Aug. 1.

Hawaii News Now is working with the three campaigns to pin down a date for a live, hourlong prime-time debate that would be held in conjunction with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

The primary election is Aug. 13, mail-out absentee ballots on Oahu start going out on July 22 and absentee walk-in voting begins Aug. 1.

If the top candidate in the mayor’s race fails to secure 50 percent of the votes cast plus one vote, the two top vote-getters advance to the Nov. 8 general election. Blank votes do not count in determining those percentages.