Parliament to start hearing those who presented memoranda on the anti-LGBTQI+ bill today
As the Committee on Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs prepares to hear those who brought their Memorandum either for or against the anti-gay bill before it, it has stopped accepting more memorandum from the public to make way for this exercise.
A Ranking Member of the committee in an interview said those who submitted their memos would be invited to appear before the committee with their memos and justify the stand that they have taken. So, as usual, the LGBTQ bill which has been referred to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament has generated a lot of interest as a result of the memoranda received so far.
“It is ranging between 140 and 150 so the committee is scheduled to start the stakeholders’ engagement effective tomorrow.
“I believe strongly when they advertised the bill welcoming memorandum the time frame was given, that time frame has since long elapsed.
“Having regard to the nature and quality of the bill we relaxed the rule and then we have received memos up to last week.
“So, I believe since the committee is going to start work on the memo effective from tomorrow, from tomorrow I don’t think the clerk of the committee will receive any further memo.”
Deputy Majority leader Afenyo-Markin has projected that the committee might take about 15 weeks to hear all 150 memoranda brought before it.
The lawmaker’s comments come after his colleague legislator for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim, appealed to the House to carry along the nation as efforts are being made to pass the bill.
Speaking on the floor of the House Friday, November 5, he said “On the issue of this LGBTQ, the committee has received about 150 memoranda I am well informed of steps they have taken so far. They have met and programmed to hear them weekly and from next week they are starting.
“So if honorable Ibrahim Ahmed wants us to carry the nation along then per my calculation, if they are doing weekly we don’t know whether any more memoranda will come.
“Then it means that we are looking at fifteen weeks. Every week they are doing ten, 150 and they want to do ten a week. So it is important all those who have brought memoranda are heard. It is after that that they will now prepare their report and then come and we make progress.”
The Sam George-led Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill was laid in the House on Monday, August 2, and read for the first time.
Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Asiamah Amoako referred the Bill to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Committee for consideration.
“For the first time, it is referred to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for consideration and report,” Mr Asiamah Amoako, who is also the MP for Fomena, directed.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
