Democratic Party to overhaul communication team

Opposition and the country’s oldest party, the Democratic Party is set to have an overhaul of its media and communications team.

Last month, a group of Journalists from various media houses stormed out of the party weekly press conference accusing leaders of failure to keep time on top of poor communication from the party leadership.

Addressing the weekly press briefing on Tuesday, party President Norbert Mao explained to journalists that concerns had reached his desk on the manner in which the weekly news conference is handled, adding that they have learnt their mistakes.

“I was informed you are unhappy with the way the press conference is run. We are not deaf, we have listened to you,” Mao said.

“Tomorrow I will be tabling before the management committee of DP a comprehensive plan to overhaul and revamp our communication department.”

The former Gulu LC5 chairman who addressed himself as the party chief spokesperson explained that after getting advice from various seasoned journalists on the way forward, they have now learnt from their mistakes, adding that soon there is going to be an overhaul of the communication team.

“Most of us are not professionals and I have been advised that we need to bring in people with more professional skills and we will announce formally the new strategy and communication team under my desk.”

The Democratic Party president said that among the new faces to handle the communication and media desk of the opposition party will include seasoned journalists and media in a bid to be professional while associating with their fellow professional.

Mao however stomached the recent issue of the walk out on the party news conference by journalists, saying he takes responsibility for everything that goes wrong in party ‘even when am not to blame.”

“I am going to promise you a big change in the way we manage our communication.”

On October 31, angry journalists walked out of the party press conference that was slated to be addressed by Mao but was nowhere to be seen. The press men and women were angered by the party spokesperson Fred Mwesigwa who told then Mao could not make it in time for the press conference. “The party president is supposed to address the conference, but has been delayed in traffic. Please bear with us and wait a little longer,” Mwesigwa told journalists as he tried to calm them down.