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Shoman Sidelining Wilfred?
posted (October 29, 2018)
And while that encounter was not reported to the press - or, apparently, the Prime Minister - as you heard earlier, the public face of the "Yes To The ICJ" campaign may be changing from Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington to Assad Shoman.

The PM said his role was un-defined so far, but, as we understand it, Shoman would become the point man on the state's campaign for get a yes vote. We asked the Prime Minister if he is sidelining his Foreign Minister:...

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Foreign Minister beside you has been a lightning rod for controversy in his public statements. Is this an attempt to have the good Mr. Elrington as it were, stepped away from the microphone and insert another more moderate voice?"

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"The idea of strengthening the team in charge of the referendum campaign is an idea that came from the minister. The notion that I should personally become more involved in the exercise is an idea that came from the minister. In fact cabinet will tell you, when we first discussed how the campaign ought to proceed, he said in cabinet that he did not want to lead it and that in his view, the prime minister should be the face of the campaign. Well, I didn't think at that time that I could agree with that. When we discussed the clear need for the efforts at the dissemination of information to be ranked up as we get closer to April 10th. Again, the minister was very much - and he and I before going to cabinet sat and went over this. The minister was very much not just an enabler - very much a kind of leader of the charge for us to reconfigure, wheel and come again. As we go forward nobody is going to sideline the minister. So one of the reasons for having him beside me today is because, I figure you would have come with this and so I needed for the minister to be here to actually witness exactly what I would say to you and to respond to you himself."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"So Mr. Foreign Minister?"

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"I am always guided by the Prime Minister. I will act with his instructions and that of the cabinet."

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