BAN KI-MOON PRESS CONFERENCE CUT SHORT

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Gabriela Carrascalao

Jornal Independente - By: Raimundo Oki

DILI: A state public relations officer yesterday appeared to favour foreign news agencies over local media at a press conference held at the President’s Office for United Nation’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

In a disappointingly short press conference, a correspondent from the Associated Press (AP) jumped in quickly with two questions for Mr Ban.

Then,Gabriela Carrascalao, from the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s public office, who helped organise the press conference, wanted to allow Portuguese public broadcaster, Radio e Televisao de Portugal to ask another question.

There was only time for one more question, which went to a foreign reporter working for this newspaper.

Other local media were upset they had not been given a chance to ask questions at this very important press conference held only a few months before UN peace keeping forces are due to leave the country for good.

When the Independente asked Ms Carrascalao about the issue, she said she had wanted to give the RTP journalist a chance to ask a question because he was holding microphone. She declined to say anything else about the issue.

An official from the Presidential Office, Joel Maria, said there had been only limited time for journalists to ask questions and there had been no discrimination.

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