Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has expressed surprise at the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, popularly known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, while he was away on official duties.
The Speaker revealed on Monday, June 1, that he had expected Parliament to only begin consideration of the bill on Friday, May 29, and not complete all stages for its passage before his return.
According to Mr Bagbin, before departing, he had directed the House to commence deliberations on the legislation. He was therefore taken aback when he learned that Parliament had gone ahead and passed the bill.
“And in fact, when it was passed on Friday, it was even a surprise to me, because I knew that they were going to start the consideration of the bill, and that was the instructions I left before I went to attend to other meetings,” he stated.
He added that he anticipated the process would extend beyond Friday due to the complexity of the bill and the need for thorough consideration.
“It was Friday, and members wanted to go home early to their constituencies… and I knew they would not have completed it. But all of a sudden I read about this passage, I reacted, and later I saw on TV all the things that happened,” he noted.
Leadership Meeting Convened
In the wake of the bill’s passage, Speaker Bagbin said he has summoned the leadership of Parliament for a meeting to review the proceedings and chart the way forward.
He described the legislation as one of immense national importance that requires careful handling and broad consensus among stakeholders.
“And so this evening I have asked the leaders to meet me in my office. So they will be here for us to go through it. This is such a critical bill that will plead there will be a consensus,” he said.
Long Legislative Journey
The bill has had one of the longest and most contentious journeys in Ghana’s recent parliamentary history. It was first introduced in June 2021 by a bipartisan group of MPs led by Sam George, the Ningo-Prampram MP.
After its first reading in August 2021, it was referred to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for extensive public consultations. The bill was passed by the Eighth Parliament in February 2024 but lapsed after failing to receive presidential assent before the dissolution of that Parliament.
It was subsequently reintroduced in the Ninth Parliament as a private member’s bill.
With Parliament having completed its work, the bill now awaits presidential assent to become law.
The legislation continues to generate intense national and international debate regarding its legal, social, cultural, and economic implications.
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
