JJ Is Politically Dishonest...Ex-Gratia Is Crass Nonsense--Pratt

Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper and leading member of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA), Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has taken former President, Jerry John Rawlings to the cleaners, accusing him of political �dishonesty and undermining� the Mills� administration. The outspoken socialist also had issues with President John Evans Atta Mills, disagreeing with his assertion that Mr. Rawlings�s criticisms of his leadership style are a mark of healthy democracy in the NDC. President Mills, in answer to questions from journalists on the occasion of his first year in office, at the Castle, Osu, Thursday, concerning his reaction to criticisms by his mentor and founder of the NDC, Flt Lt J.J. Rawlings, President Mills maintained that criticisms of his government by Mr. Rawlings and some members of the party will not weaken but strengthen the party and the government since their contributions would go a long way to enhance "our democratic dispensation". �If members of the previous government had benefited from this example of internal democracy, they would have avoided some of the pitfalls that caused their downfall� President Rawlings is not a pain in my neck and will never be a pain in my neck. For 19 years he toiled hard to stabilise this country; no Head of State is more experienced than President Rawlings, so I welcome his criticisms,� he stressed. But the CJA firebrand thinks otherwise. He posited that President Mills should not have been diplomatic about how he felt regarding Mr. Rawlings� comments. Contributing to a panel discussion on Radio Gold�s political talk-show, �Alhaji and Alhaji� on Saturday January 9th, Mr. Pratt tongue-lashed the former President, describing him as the �Chief Spokesperson� for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). According to him, most NPP activists now feed on Mr. Rawlings�s often negative outbursts and throw them back in the face of the NDC. �How can this level of dishonesty and downright undermining of the administration be described as simply part of the democratic effort?...,Sometimes, I get really embarrassed by some of these developments,� he fumed.