LGBTQ+ Bill: Don't Denigrate the President - Majority Leader Fires Back at Speaker

Alban Bagbin, of his right to express an opinion on the actions of President Nana Akufo-Addo in relation to the anti-gay bill, but added that while expressing his opinion, he should be mindful of his utterances which seems to be denigrating the President.

The Majority caucus of Ghana’s parliament criticized the Speaker for the way and manner he described the President in his reaction to the letter that was written to Parliament by the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo on this particular bill. During a parliamentary session on Wednesday, March 20, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin had told President Akufo-Addo that his refusal to accept the transmission of the anti-gay bill to his office is a departure from established democratic practices when not checked will be a bad precedence for the future.

It is incumbent upon the President to accept the bill and take the necessary action within the prescribed constitutional limits, whether that action is assent, refusal, or referral to the Council of State for advice.“Article 106(7) says ‘Where a bill passed by Parliament is presented to the President for assent, he shall signify within seven days after the presentation, to the Speaker that he assents to the bill or that he refuses to assent to bill, unless the bill has been referred by the President to the Council of State under article 90 of this Constitution’.

Speaker said the President has undermined democracy and that he should have resorted to the Constitution in making certain communications to the House.

Speaker that we all need to reflect on the way forward as a nation.”The conversation on whether or not the president will assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family value Bill started after parliament had passed the bill on February 18.

In addressing some foreign diplomats, the President mentioned that the bill has been challenged in the Supreme Court, hence, he will wait for the verdict of the Supreme Court.

The Parliament of Ghana and The Attorney-General (11/9/2024), respectively, to restrain you and Parliament from transmitting the Bill to the President and, also, to restrain the President from signifying his assent to the Bill, pending the final determination of the matter,” the statement added.