President John Dramani Mahama has stated that the controversial anti-LGBTQ bill has not yet completed the full legislative process and remains subject to constitutional review before it can become law.
Speaking at Chatham House in London on Monday, June 1, President Mahama noted that while Parliament had been considering the bill, questions have been raised regarding quorum and procedural compliance during its passage.
“Parliament has been considering it and it was supposed to have been passed last week. There’ve been a few issues raised,” he said.
He added that concerns had been raised over whether proper quorum was achieved and whether parliamentary procedures were strictly followed during the vote.
“There wasn’t quorum when it was passed, and then there were some procedural lapses in terms of its passage,” he explained.
President Mahama said he had been informed that the Speaker of Parliament had issued a statement addressing the alleged irregularities and clarifying the current status of the bill.
He noted that under Ghana’s constitutional process, any bill passed by Parliament must still receive presidential assent before it becomes law. The President retains the option to review the legislation thoroughly.
“When I was the opposition leader, the president has a number of options. It must come for assent,” he said.
Mahama explained that since the bill originated as a private member’s bill rather than a government-sponsored one, it would be subjected to careful scrutiny by legal advisers at the presidency and the Attorney-General before any decision on assent is made.
“This was not a government bill… the legal counsel at the presidency and the Attorney-General would sit on it and make sure everything is in order before the president is advised to assent,” he stated.
He added that the President could also refer the bill to the Council of State for advice if further concerns arise.
“If there are some things that he thinks there are problems he can refer it to the Council of State for advice,” he said.
The President emphasised that the legislative process was still ongoing, noting that “there are still quite a while to go before the bill becomes a law.”
The bill, which has generated intense national and international debate, seeks to impose stricter penalties on LGBTQ-related activities and advocacy. Supporters argue it protects Ghanaian cultural a
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
