Meeting Between President And Judiciary Was Right -Blay

Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker, yesterday warned that it was dangerous for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament to politicise and read ill motives into the meeting between President John Agyekum Kufuor and a delegation from the Judiciary led by the Chief Justice Mr E.K. Wiredu last week.

Mr Blay said unless one was up to mischief or was a victim of internal diabolical political pressure, he or she could not object to the President's meeting with any citizen at any time anywhere.

Speaking to Ghana News Agency in reaction to the NDC Caucus's criticism of the closed-door meeting, Mr Blay expressed surprise at their reaction.

Mr Blay, who is CPP Member of Parliament for Ellembele, said the practice of watertight politics of separation of powers as Montesquieu propounded should not be swallowed hook, line and sinker.

He said in effect what the Caucus was calling would lead to subverting constitutional institution like the Parliament, Judiciary and Executive.

"If that happens, there would be no cohesion, mutual trust and building of bridges of communication," he said.

He said there was nothing absolutely wrong for "the Head of the Executive to meet the Judiciary anywhere at any time to hold discussions".

Unless one could prove that such a meeting undermined the performance of the other's duties, then one could not impute indiscretion to such an assembly.

Mr Blay said Parliament was aware of the budgetary and logistic deprivation of the Judicial Service and was moving to raise the image of the service.