CPP in fighting: Kwesi Pratt under fire

Two leading members of the Convention People's Party are at each other's throat over the New Patriotic Party government's recently announced measures aimed at cushioning the citizenry against the hardships arising out of the on going global economic crisis.

Nii Moi Thompson, the CPP's spokesperson on the economy, has expressed his disgust over derogatory comments made against him by Kwesi Pratt Jnr, another leading member of the party and also leading member of the Committee for Joint Action, that he had 'hailed' President Kufuor in a story published by The Chronicle under the head, "CJA not amused with gov't interventions but Economists hail JAK—yet caution against inflation.'

According to Dr Thompson, the attack was launched on him through the Alhaji and Alhaji programme on an Accra-based radio station, where Mr Pratt, who is also Managing Editor of The Insight, made the unfortunate statements about him.

In a sharp reaction, Dr Thompson said Mr Pratt misled listeners and subjected him to needless ridicule and catcalls.

He said such populist attempts by the senior journalist to put down others and project his stature is rather cynical and unfortunate. "If I said specific things (about the president or anything else) that he disagreed with or thought were false, he should have challenged them and then offered alternative explanations and policy prescriptions. That would be sound debate, the kind that advances the cause of a nation, not personal agendas," he said in a statement released yesterday.

Going down memory lane, Dr Thompson reminded the public that Mr Pratt was one of those who actively campaigned to bring the NPP and President Kufuor to power and can, therefore, not absolve or distance himself from the record of the government.

"In other words, Mr Pratt can no more distance himself from the record of Mr Kufuor and the NPP than can Mr Kufuor renounce his own record and government. Both Mr Pratt and Mr Kufuor, in essence, share a common culpability that neither Mr Pratt nor anyone else can simply wish away. This is an inescapable historical fact," he stated.

Whilst commending the Committee for Joint Action, the CPP guru said "I don't believe that the group holds monopoly knowledge over what is wrong or right for Ghana. We must necessarily have a variety of views over economic, social and political reality, otherwise we edge dangerously towards an ideological hegemony, possibly even a political dictatorship, characterised by vile media attacks disguised as 'social commentators' against those whose views may not accord with views of certain individuals or their political groupings."