Dr. Rasheed Draman, Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), has urged government and parliamentary leaders to swiftly clarify their stance on the recently passed Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely known as the LGBTQ+ Bill, to dispel growing public suspicion and uncertainty.
Responding to controversies that erupted after Parliament approved the bill last Friday, Draman warned that mixed signals from key state figures—including Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and President John Dramani Mahama—risk eroding public trust in the legislative process.
In an interview, he described the measure as one of the most contentious pieces of legislation in recent years, noting its capacity to stir strong emotions and divisions both nationally and within Parliament. “The process needs to be sanitised as soon as possible so that Ghanaians will know clearly what is going on,” he emphasised.
https://primenetgh.com/store/fh-data-hub
Growing concerns
Dr. Draman expressed that concerns have intensified following President Mahama’s reported remarks about procedural issues, particularly questions regarding quorum. The Speaker of Parliament also expressed surprise at the bill’s passage and announced plans to meet with parliamentary leadership to discuss the matter.
Dr. Draman noted that if the Speaker’s comments accurately reflected the situation, it indicated potential communication challenges within Parliament. This could give rise to suspicions that there might be efforts to delay or undermine the bill. He cautioned that any attempts to backtrack on campaign promises relating to the legislation could have political repercussions. “Today’s voter is very sophisticated and does not forget easily,” he stated.
Communication lapse
Commenting on the Speaker’s decision to engage parliamentary leadership, Dr Draman said the development appeared, on the face of it, to point to a communication breakdown between the Speaker and those who presided over proceedings in his absence. He, however, cautioned against drawing premature conclusions, explaining that communication challenges could occur in any institution.
“What might be happening is a communication breakdown and that needs to be ironed out,” he said. Dr Draman added that the situation differed from tensions witnessed in the Eighth Parliament, stressing that the current Speaker and his First Deputy, who presided when the bill was passed, belonged to the same political party and were therefore expected to work closely together.
Parliamentary mandate
On the substance of the bill, Dr Draman maintained that Parliament had the constitutional right to pass legislation, provided it did not contravene the Constitution or infringe on the rights of citizens. He said concerns raised about possible human rights implications should be carefully examined, but cautioned against actions that could stifle the growing role of private members in the legislative process.
“We have encouraged private members over the years to become actively involved in lawmaking, and we do not want a situation where somebody is trying to stifle this process,” he said. He urged political leaders to provide clarity on the way forward to prevent prolonged uncertainty over the fate of the bill.
Background
The bill was reintroduced by 10 MPs from both the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), which marked one of the few instances of bipartisan collaboration on a major social issue in recent years. On the NDC side were the MP for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George; MP for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra; MP for Krachi West, Helen Adjoa Ntoso and MP for Dadekotopon, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah.
From the NPP side were MP for Assin South, Rev.John Ntim Fordjour; MP for Nalerigu/Gambaga, Nurideen Muhammed Mummuni; MP for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah; MP for Gushegu, Alhassan Tampuli Sulemana; MP for Walewale, Dr Tiah Abdul Kabiru Mahama, and MP for Odotobri, Anthony Mmieh. The bill was first introduced in 2021 and was passed by Parliament in February 2024 after over three years of intense national debate and international scrutiny.
However, the bill failed to secure presidential assent before the dissolution of the Eighth Parliament, leading it to lapse automatically under the country’s legislative procedures. In February this year, the same group of MPs resubmitted the bill in the Ninth Parliament that restarted the legislative process until its passage last Friday.
Source: Samuel Duodu
