Blay Calls for Tolerance in CPP

Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, on Monday called for tolerance in discussing and organising the Convention People's Party (CPP) as a viable party.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in reaction to verbal attacks on him by some party members, Mr Blay who is a CPP Member of Parliament for Elembelle said: "The beauty of democracy is tolerance".

The reaction followed a statement issued by the Greater Accra Regional Youth Wing of the CPP accusing Mr Blay and Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Integration and a leading member of the

party, of having sold the birthright of the CPP to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mr Blay said: "I have made my position on the party clear. I did it in the open so that we could as a party debate the issues and come out with a plan.

"Those accusing me are not organising anything. At least, I represent a constituency in Parliament and when I speak I speak for those who voted for me. I am not a Trojan Horse."

He said: "There are some, who are talking about neo-colonialism and imperialism and I would agree with them that perhaps they have read more than I have done and once democracy is also a learning process I would allow them to say all that they are saying. I don't hold it against them. It is politics."

Mr Blay said it would have been better if the party did not wash its dirty linen in the public.