Bagbin is setting a political bait for MPs by asking for the anti-gay bill to be voted in public – Akoto Ampaw
The decision by Speaker of Parliament that voting on the anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex (LGBTQI+) bill will be made public did not go down well with astute lawyer Akoto Ampaw who has criticized the speaker over that.
For him, the Speaker’s ruling had nothing to do with legislative procedure.
This is rather, a bait to let the majority of Ghanaians who are opposed to homosexuality to use it as a benchmark for voting in the next general elections.
Mr Bagbin had earlier indicated that the sitting of the committee on the anti-LGBTQI+ bill which is currently before the House will be made public.
In his opening remarks as the legislature reconvened on Tuesday, October 27, he said, “the seating of the Committee will be public and the decision of this House will be public. We will want to know where each Member of Parliament comes in.
“I know Ghanaians are expectant and there are over hundred petitions before the Committee of Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. But we will try not to allow any filibustering of this bill. Because it is not only Africa, the whole world is looking for the outcome of this bill.”
“In fact, it has assumed some different dimensions. For me, this is healthy for a maturing democracy like Ghana. It is important we allow various shapes of opinions to canvass their position on the bill. As Ghanaians, I want to plead that we accommodate the views of others on whatever perception they have and let’s maintain the peace that we have.
“It is a law that will take into consideration the richness of common sense, human decency, morality, fact and logic. At the end of the day it will be a law that will transform this country into something else,” he added.
But Akoto Ampaw said “It is for Members of Parliament to decide whether or not the Bill will be passed. I am sorry to say that this is a bait by the Speaker that everybody votes in public so that Ghanaians will see where they stand. It is a political bait.”
“It is not a legislative process. So that the vast majority of Ghanaians who are opposed to homosexuality, as the CDD survey suggests, will use this as a benchmark for political elections, it has nothing to do with the constitutionality of the bill,” Akoto Ampaw added.
