Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs in Parliament has cautioned the Minority to be cautious in their criticism of the processes that will facilitate the passage of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill.
According to Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, casting insinuations and politicising the proposed legislation will leave a negative effect on the process.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament, the Asante-Akim Central MP explained that “let no person attempt to cloth this deal with any political colour. The moment it is clothed with political colours, I am sure that my people will support me and we’ll have a statement on this bill.”
Anti-LGBTQ Bill: If you politicize this bill, it will fail to pass. – Majority to Minority#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/hIb5GonlKe
— Joy 99.7 FM (@Joy997FM) December 7, 2023
This comes after sponsors of the controversial bill grew furious over the lack of action on their bill on Wednesday, December 6.
The private members’ bill, sponsored by Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George, has been stuck at the consideration stage for months without progress.
But Mr Antwi insists that there are new developments with the bill that need to be addressed at the committee level before it can progress any further.
He found it worrying that this reasoning does not sit well with the sponsors who have taken some Majority MPs to the cleaners for following what he sees as due process.
“I overheard my friend casting insinuations at the First Deputy Speaker. That is Sam George saying that when the main speaker that is the Right Honourable Speaker is not there, then the First Deputy Speaker or the Second Deputy Speaker, who didn’t want to prosecute this in this house.”
“I am not aware that as a chairman, you just get up you get to the house and you prosecute your agenda, irrespective of whether you are ready or not,” he said on Thursday, December 7.
The Committee Chairman added that the aim is to pass a bill that would withstand the test of time, hence the need for scrutiny.