How Can Winners Not Celebrate? Pratt Asks Catholic Bishops

A couple of days ago, the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) appealed to Ghanaians to refrain from offensive actions and utterances that have the tendency to create conflict.

Speaking at a press conference to crown its extraordinary plenary meeting held from August 6 to 8, 2013, the Bishops endorsed the call by a section of society for the victors in the election petition case not to celebrate after the court verdict, but rather continue their normal endeavours to develop the country.

However, speaking on Radio Gold’s “Alhaji and Alhaji” programme, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt criticised the stance of the Bishops saying “victory must be celebrated”.

According to him, the GCBC’s position is very strange because losers are those who do not celebrate but as for winners, nothing stops them from celebrating.

“…if you win don’t celebrate; don’t rejoice; you and the loser must all be the same… how is that possible? How can you win and not feel joy? After nine months of painful court proceedings; you say that you will not rejoice…I think what we should be saying is that those who want to celebrate must do it within the ambit of the law. They must respect the law,” he said.

Kwesi Pratt appealed to the security agencies in the country not to relent in arresting anyone who will go contrary to the laws of the state. He said “the aftermath of this court case will be interesting and whatever the outcome will be, the law enforcement agencies must enforce the law without favour or fear; they must be absolutely impartial”.