Minority vows to block gov’t bills over delay in passing anti-LGBTQ bill
“As far as the constitution is concerned, when you introduce a bill, and it is referred to the committee, that committee must not spend more than three months,”
The Minority in Parliament is threatening to block the passage of government bills if the LGBTQI bill is not worked on with dispatch in the house.
The Chairman of the committee working on the bill has been accused of deliberately slowing down work on the bill, with no clear sign of progress more than a year after its introduction.
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Speaking on the floor of the house on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak stressed the need for the bill to be dealt with speedily.
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“As far as the constitution is concerned, when you introduce a bill, and it is referred to the committee, that committee must not spend more than three months,” Mr. Mubarak argued.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Committee working on the bill, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi has explained why work on the bill had delayed.
“I would want to draw the House’s attention that there are several bills before the committee. We had one in-camera meeting last week, and we have invited the sponsors of this bill for these meetings.”
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“Honourable Bedzrah was at these meetings, so it was surprising that the same person who was aware of what the committee is doing will say that the committee is doing nothing about the bill. I want to set the records straight that the committee is on course, so far as bills are concerned.”
The Bill on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values’, was presented to Speaker, Alban Bagbin on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.
The Bill prescribes that people of the same sex who engage in sexual activity could spend up to 10 years in jail.
Varying forms of support for the LGBTQ+ community will also be criminalised if the Bill, known as the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, is passed into law.
The members of Parliament that presented the bill are, Sam George, Emmanuel Bedzrah (MP, Ho West) Della Adjoa Sowah (MP, Kpando), John Ntim Fordjour (MP, Assin South), Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini (MP, Tamale North), Helen Adjoa Ntoso (MP, Krachi West), Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (MP, La Dadekotopon) and Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor (MP, South Dayi).
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