I Don't Speak For The NDC - Kwesi Pratt

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Mr. Kwesi Pratt has debunked media reports that he is a member of the Communication Team of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), in spite of the fact that his name is on a list of communicators sent by the NDC to Metro TV as their �accredited representatives�. His denial follows a publication in the Daily Searchlight newspaper that he has been appointed as one of the ten (10) official communicators appointed by the NDC to see to its interests on Metro TV�s �Good Morning Ghana� programme, after the ruling party withdrew its boycott. The Daily Searchlight publication was stoked by the re-appearance of Kwesi Pratt Jnr on the station�s flagship programme. He had stopped being on the programme for quite some time now, but that very long absence was truncated when viewers of the show on Wednesday, woke up to the presence of the seasoned journalist as a panel member. It would be recalled that the ruling party had a run-in with the management of the television station when it accused the station of exhibiting blatant bias against them following the decision by producers of �Good Morning Ghana� to replace an NDC member, Kojo Twum Boafo with Bernard Mornah of the People�s National Convention (PNC) party, because one of the panelists, Gabby Otchere-Darko of the Danquah Institute was �uncomfortable� debating the NDC representative. The NDC, thus decided with immediate effect, to boycott any political discussion programme on �Metro TV� because they felt the television station had conspired with some persons close to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to muscle-out NDC representatives from the station�s �Good Morning Ghana� programme. But the NDC, according to the publication �decided to withdraw its boycott on two conditions; that Metro TV apologises for the said incident and also that the station would accept only its duly accredited representatives�. According to the Daily Searchlight, �for the five editions of the �Good Morning Program�, the NDC has sent a total list of ten names, with one being the main speaker and the other being the alternative, and prominent on that list is the name of Mr. Kwesi Pratt Junior, who continues to proclaim that he is a leading member of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP)�. Indeed, further checks by peacefmonline.com attest to the fact that Mr Pratt�s name is on the list of ten names sent to Metro TV as �NDC accredited representatives�. Peacefmonline.com can also confirm that on the said list, the NDC directed that the Insight newspaper Editor represents the party on Wednesdays. But speaking in an interview with Suhini Alhassan on Radio Gold, Kwesi Pratt opined that though it will be an honour for anyone to be part of the communications team of a political party with a strong grassroots base; he is not a member of the NDC�s Communication Team. He explained that his absence from the �Good Morning Ghana� programme was as a result of an altercation he had with the General Manager of Metropolitan Entertainment Television (Metro TV). �That is very strange and I wonder how the paper (Searchlight) came up with that story. I left the show because of a disagreement I had with the General Manager. However, I was convinced by a lot of people including Randy Abbey, Shamima Muslim (Hosts of Good Morning Ghana) and a guy called Moro, for me to come back to the programme. I find it very strange�I was told that the station wanted me to come back...,� he explicated. According to him, he was also prevailed upon by well-meaning people who claim they sorely miss his objective views and analysis on issues to return to the show; and so after several considerations, decided to go back to the programme. ��I don�t see anything wrong with (being a member of) the NDC communication team it is a privilege for anyone to be part of a party�s communication�s team. All the people who were calling for my return were not NDC people. They claim I give an objective view of issues� But I am not a member of the NDCs communication team and I did not go on that ticket. I am an independent journalist who has been going to the show to express my view objectively�,� he added.