Councillor was in USA forging links

Reading through the letters page in Issue No 25 of Yourmedway (February 27, 2008) led me to wonder if Cllr Teresa Murray has ever heard of the word “diplomacy”, or if she is unable to ever cast party politics aside.

According to the dictionary, diplomacy is “the art or practice of conducting international relations”, and Cllr Rehman Chishti certainly wasn’t in America to settle his supposed “struggle to decide on his political allegiances”.

Mr Chishti’s role was to observe how elections are run in America – not to try and sway public opinion towards, or against, a specific candidate or party; America is, after all, a big country.

Instead, he saw how things worked from both sides of the fence, forging important links with American Democrats and Republicans alike.

Trying to make political gain out of such a visit strikes me as being a little bit desperate.

Alan Collins
from Twydall
Via email

Rehman Chishti, the Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for Gillingham and Rainham, has just returned from his official visit to the United States observing the presidential elections.

He went to the United States with the British American Parliamentary Group and the USA state department as the Conservative party representative on the delegation.

Rehman Chishti’s highlight of the trip came when he addressed the packed Republican Party caucus in Kansas on Saturday, February 9. He stated that it was only the Republican Party, the sister party of the British Conservative Party, that could improve the quality of life for American Citizens.

The Visit included meetings with Senators, Congressmen, Professors, Mayors, HM British Government officials, journalists and school children, as well as meetings with senior party officials. The aim was of understanding the American presidential system, as well as fostering good relations with leaders of the two countries.

Rehman said he thoroughly enjoyed his visit to the United States. “The people were lovely, and I gained a real insight into the American Election Process,” he commented. “The visit showed me at first hand that our two great countries have alot in common.”

For more photographs, please visit the Gillingham Conservatives website.