Change political strategy, build bonds, MPs suggest

Manama : With the MPs gearing up to discuss media strategy this week, Shura Member and Former Chairperson Defence, National Security and Foreign Affairs Committee Sawsan Taqawi called for a change in the political strategy. 

According to her, instead of issuing counter statements to the remarks issued against Bahrain, they should go one step ahead and reach out to those who were behind those statements. 

“We have to find out them, their interests and party affiliations. Finally, we need to seek ways to build bridges with them,” she said.

Her statements came close on the heels of the Information Minister’s statement that MPs were going to discuss media strategy this week with the aim to promote Bahrain at the international level.

“We need to choose the right people at the right place and at the right time to promote the image of Bahrain worldwide,” Taqawi remarked.

“We are happy with our democracy as it suits us in the present form,” she said, adding, “We also have to concentrate on podium internationally in all fields.”

Commenting on the issue, Shura Council Member Bassam Albinmohamed said Bahrain should come out with the clear-cut strategy to promote it at the international level by highlighting all its achievements.

In his view, it was a serious topic and must be handled properly. 

He said, “Despite our achievements, we could not convey our success stories to the world in a convincing
way.”   

He said that Bahrain has constitutional institutions and transparent legal system including the constitutional court, the Ombudsman and unprecedented freedom of faith. “Besides, the Kingdom is an excellent place for the expatriates to live in and do business.”

 Albinmohamed said that the human rights laws were being introduced and implemented in Bahrain and all these plus points should be told to the world in a logical way. 

According to him, there was no dearth of good things about Bahrain but what they lacked was how to portray all those things to the international community through different media. 

He also suggested that diplomats must have a proper strategy and accurate information to speak about the true image of Bahrain. “The foreign diplomats in Bahrain must also be convinced.” 

Albinmohamed added that Bahrain needed to have a proactive media strategy.