It'll be dangerous and illogical for Mills to ask Gbagbo to step down – Pratt

Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper

Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt has posited that the call on President Mills by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to impress on incumbent Ivorian Leader, Laurent Gbagbo to step down, is to say the least illogical and absurd.

According to him, it will be a reckless action on the part of any Ghanaian Head of State to call on one faction to step down.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP have added their voice to the growing calls on Laurent Gbagbo to quit and have criticized the unwillingness of Mills government to adopt a firm and decisive position against his illegitimate government.

The General Secretary of the NPP, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie is reported to have called on President Mills not to only ask that Ghanaians pray for peace in La Cote d'Ivoire, but to boldly call his good friend to order by telling him to step down.

“While we welcome his call for prayers, we also pray for Mills to gather courage and exhibit principled leadership by telling his friend next door to go now and allow the will of the Ivorian majority to prevail,” he said.

But speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo morning show, Mr. Pratt said calling on one faction to step down indicates Ghana's support for the other which will be quite disastrous for Ghanaians residing in Cote D'Ivoire. He believes the perfect role President Mills can play in the Ivorian political stalemate is to put himself forward as a neutral arbitrator.

“If the NPP had called on President Mills to only counsel Gbagbo, there wouldn't have been any problem but they want him to take a stance, which is dangerous because if things get out of hand, Ghanaians will be at a huge disadvantage. At least some will be refugees and there are a lot of Ghanaians who are currently living in La Cote D'Ivoire. It will be the most dangerous and reckless thing for any Ghanaian Head of State to do;…and back one faction, can you imagine what will happen to Ghanaians in Cote D'Ivoire?” he rhetorically asked.

“Everybody is expecting president Mills to play a role in Cote D'Ivoire but the role President Mills can play in Cote D'Ivoire is to be a neutral arbitrator, seeking for peace for the West African sub region. That is the critical role our Heads of State should be playing instead of taking sides in this conflict which is obviously needless,” he added.

According to Mr. Pratt,“the critical issue in Cote D'Ivoire is condition for free and fair election rather than who supervises it. Rebels now control half of the country and they are armed so it is not conducive for peaceful, free and fair elections. So even if there will be a re-election, the key thing is to disarm the rebels and integrate them into the army before they can hold a free and fair election,” he noted.