Barrow’s CGTN exclusive:
Time to prepare our head of state
Dear editor,
Listening to Barrow talk to CGTN’s anchor, I felt really bad. I am glad that people are giving it a good critique. It got to be better than that. But as I agreed earlier with a colleague, the departure point to help the head of state is adopting talking points for every major event. That’s the standards in many places. It’s professional and certainly, the right thing to do. The communication team must work hand in glove with the permanent secretaries at the Office of the President to draft talking points which must be cleared by either the President or his Secretary General ahead of major events and interviews. Every detail of those points must be explained and understood by the team. That’s how it’s done. It’s a shame to expose your leader like that. He got to be prepared. That said, Barrow too must take personal commitments and realise that he cannot settle for mediocre stuff. He must learn by his own.
Interviews could be rough and thus need good preparation. There is no excuse for not understanding certain basic things. But like I said, it’s unfair to send your leader to conduct tasks without preparing him adequately. Even best leaders got their talking points prepared.
Hatab Fadera
US Embassy
I agree with Hatab Fadera
Dear editor,
The secret is “preparation, preparation and preparation”. But honestly, can one adequately prepare for such interviews, those that are impromptu or with no hint of what the interviewer will ask? Unless we demand the questions before hand, this is a situation out of one’s control. An experienced journalist excellent at questioning can upset even the best politician. Without holding brief for the President, I have seen “experts” fumbled and stumbled at job interviews, over questions they know to their fingertips.
Take a good listen to the President’s answer to the “one-China Policy”…. I think he did not fumble. He rather side stepped. The “one-China policy” is about unity of the two Chinas, a recognition that Taiwan and China are one country, a non-recognition of Taiwan. A shrewd politician will avoid such a question, especially that ours is a new Government and nothing is granted and permanent in the quicksand of foreign policy. Only one’s interest directs matters. Who knows that in 3 years we may be friends with Taiwan? And one’s statement can dog him or her in the future.
My take only.
Njundu Drammeh
CPA
