Majority Chief Whip: Anti-LGBTQI+ needs fine-tuning …to protect rights guaranteed by Constitution
The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, disclosed that the anti-LGBTQI+ bill before Parliament in its current form, requires fine-tuning to make it fit for purpose.
He said the fine-tuning would ensure that rights guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution were duly protected.
“We need to fine-tune the anti-LGBTQI+ bill to ensure that it maximises the protection of rights and freedoms in consonance with democratic principles as we have practiced uninterrupted for more than three decades,” Mr Annoh-Dompreh stressed.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam- Adoagyiri in the Eastern Region, expressed worry that the bill, which had generated huge controversy and dominated news headlines for several weeks, had assumed a political twist.
“While I agree that there is a need for a bill that protects Ghanaian values, norm and traditions the current bill falls short in doing that and it is unfortunate the LGBTQI+ bill is being politicised.
“As the majority caucus in Parliament, we agree in principle that legislation that protects Ghanaian values, norms and traditions in all areas of endeavour must be assisted and supported however the bill, as it is now, is defective,” Mr Annoh-Dompreh insisted.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh’s comments comes at a time when a section of the public have begun questioning the silence of ruling government officials on the bill with most of the Members of Parliament (MPs) on record to be speaking publicly against the bill are members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who pushed through the private member’s bill alongside one New Patriotic Party MP (NPP MP).
About 20 members of Parliament have initiated processes to have a law passed to criminalise LGBTQI+ activities and advocacy and the bill, dubbed ‘The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021’, has received widespread public assistance and support, with a section of the public condemning and describing it as promoting hatred.
The Christian Council and the Office of the National Chief Imam have already declared their assistance and support for the bill but some academics and civil society organisations have described the bill as intending to promote hate.–citinewsroom.com
