'By the weekend Ghana should have an anti-gay bill' – Minority Leader

The Minority Leader of Ghana’s Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has said that the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 (anti-LGBT bill), which has been in the House for nearly three years, would be passed soon.

Ato Forson, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Esiam, said that the anti-gay bill would be passed by Sunday, February 18, 2024, myjoyonline.com reports.

According to him, despite the dragging of the bill, it has the support of almost all Members of Parliament (MPs) and more importantly, the support of an overwhelming majority of Ghanaians.

"By weekend Ghana should have a bill called Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill…. It has been here for three years and we’re still debating it.

“We’ve finished the consideration, what is left is the third reading and after that the speaker will put the question and those in favour will say ‘yes’ and those against will say ‘no’ but in the end, I’ve not seen any MP against this bill and the people of Ghana are strongly in favour of this bill. The Afrobarometer shows that 90% of Ghanaians are in favour," he is quoted to have said in an interview on JoyNews on February 13, 2024.

The MP also expressed confidence in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assenting the bill into law after it has been passed by parliament.

He added that even if the president refuses to assent to the bill, parliament on its own would approve it into law.

"Even if the president fails to sign it, the bill would have to come back to parliament, where MPs will use a two-thirds majority to have it signed.

"So, as it stands now, I think the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill will become law even if the president fails to [willingly] sign it," he said.

BAI/AE

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