Anti-Gay bill: You have no locus to write to the Clerk to Parliament – Haruna Iddrisu slams Bediatuo Asante

The Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has slammed the Secretray to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante for what he describes as the disregard for the other branches of government.

According to him, the president’s secretary lacks the authority to write to the clerk of parliament, urging the House to withhold the recently passed Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024 from being transmitted to President Akufo-Addo for his approval.

Addressing the media in Parliament on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, Mr Iddrisu said Nana Bediatuo Asante has no power to write to the clerk of parliament.

“I am unable to sleep because this is a monumental threat to Ghana’s democracy and a monumental threat to parliament as an institution. This letter only reflects President Akufo-Addo’s quest for predominance over other organs of the state. That is unacceptable and must be fought by all persons who love democracy and cherish the principles and values of the 1992 Constitution.”

“Politically, what power does the president’s secretary have to write to the clerk of parliament? And not the president himself writing directly to the Speaker of Parliament as required in the Standing Orders, so that officially, this can be read as communication from the president. So ideally, this paper means nothing and should be ignored by the clerk because communication to parliament must be signed by the president, addressed to the Speaker of Parliament,” he said.

In a letter addressed to the clerk to parliament on Monday, March 18, 2024, Nana Bediatuo Asante, urged parliament to refrain from transmitting the recently passed Anti-LGBT+ Bill to the presidency for his approval.