Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament Rejects Veiled Threats Against Anti-LGBTQI Bill”
In a recent meeting with members of the British House of Lords and the House of Commons, Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, expressed his country’s commitment to protecting its culture, values, and societal norms, particularly regarding the controversial issue of LGBTQI rights. The Speaker rejected veiled threats of withdrawal of investments and international aid, stating that such actions are not the solution to disagreements.
The British Members of Parliament were particularly concerned about the law passed in Uganda on the LGBTQI phenomenon and the bill on Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values currently before Ghana’s parliament. However, the Speaker made it clear that Ghana’s parliament has the mandate and capability to legislate on the subject and will not tolerate any interference from the executive.
According to the Speaker, the role of the president is to accent to bills submitted to him by Parliament, but final legislative powers rest with the legislature, not the executive. Ghana’s democracy is based on the rule of law, not the rule of man, he added.
The Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has been subject to broad consultations by the select committee working on it. The committee has held consultations in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, EU, and Canada, among others, for a deeper appreciation of the issues at stake. In addition, the committee has received and considered about 400 memoranda on the issue and has granted an audience to many advocacy groups, professional associations, traditional leaders, civil society groups, and religious leaders.
The approach to this bill has been to “think global and act local,” said the Speaker. The legislature’s goal is to protect the rights, values, and health of Ghanaians, particularly those whose sexual orientation has implications for their health. The bill is not aimed at curtailing human rights, but rather, at protecting them.
In a nutshell, Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament has rejected veiled threats against the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. He affirmed Ghana’s commitment to protecting its culture, values, and societal norms, and called for engagement and understanding, rather than boycotts and threats, to resolve disagreements. The legislature’s approach to the bill has been to “think global and act local” and protect the rights, values, and health of Ghanaians.