The Director of Operations for the political pressure group, the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), has accused the Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, of hypocricy in his analysis of the political stalemate in neighbouring La Côte d'Ivoire. Mr Samuel Awuku said Mr. Pratt has created the impression he is a walking encyclopedia on Ivorian politics and regards dissenting views as coming from ignoramuses. Both embattled Ivorian leader, Laurent Gbagbo and his main rival Alassane Ouattara, are claiming victory in the November 28 presidential runoff. That country’s Constitutional Council invalidated results released by the Independent Electoral Commission which saw opposition leader Ouattara declared winner. The council disregarded the EC and declared Mr Gbagbo winner of the elections. Both men swore themselves in as president leading to a stalemate. Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Morning show, Mr Awuku, a staunch NPP Youth Activist, accused the Insight newspaper Editor of inconsistency in his analysis on the Ivorian political situation. According to him, a few days back, the seasoned journalist who professed trust in ECOWAS, had appealed for calm as member states decide, but surprisingly began singing a new tune and censured ECOWAS after leaders in the Sub-region adopted a common resolution recognising Alassane Ouattara as winner of the elections and suspending Côte d'Ivoire from all its decision-making bodies. Mr. Awuku also described as a lie, statement by the outspoken journalist to the effect that only 5 African Heads of State were present at the said ECOWAS meeting that took the decision to back Ouattara. “Kwesi is being hypocritical regarding his analysis on Cote D’Ivoire’s political impasse, his earlier position was that ECOWAS should be given the chance to make a decision and when ECOWAS finally takes its decision on Gbagbo, he is taking a different stance…Kwami, it is also a lie if Kwesi claims only 5 West African leaders were present. They were more than 5, and besides, the Foreign Ministers who attended were recognized as representing their various Heads of State…,” he stated. Mr. Awuku added that it is laughable for Gbagbo to now doubt the credibility of the UN when they had earlier given the international organization the mandate to certify the voters register. To him, Gbagbo is now doubting the UN and crying foul because he lost the second round of the election. “The UN had the mandate to certify the first round of voting and Gbagbo accepted it because it went in his favour, but when the results of the second round did not go well for him, he then said there is foreign intervention and unnecessary meddling. African dictators tend to blame other countries for their misrule, when there is an issue; they disassociate themselves and blame it on foreign intervention,” he said. Midway through his submission, Mr Pratt took exception to being labeled a liar and a hypocrite and vehemently protested, but the AFAG member, who would not budge, maintained that his position, arguing his criticisms were not directed at Mr. Pratt’s person, but the analysis he just made on the Ivorian crisis. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana