The controversial anti-gay bill remains in limbo as public pressure mounts on President John Dramani Mahama to take a definitive stance.
Chairman of Advocates for Christ Ghana, Edem Senanu, has expressed frustration over the delay in presidential assent, hinting at possible legal action if the President fails to act.
The bill, popularly known as the Anti-Gay Bill, now sponsored by Rev. John Ntim Fordjour and nine others, was advertised on Tuesday on the Order Paper, but was never laid.
Speaking to Tutuwaa Danso on Starr Today, Mr. Senanu stated that the prolonged inaction undermines the will of Parliament and the expectations of many Ghanaians who support the legislation.
“I would say that at this point, when they themselves have reviewed, reflected, and admitted that, truth be told, they passed it, and I agree with them, indeed, they did pass it. Now, I have inquired whether there is any rule or procedure in Parliament that prevents the transmission of a bill to the President after it has been passed. Apparently, there is no such rule.
Even the rules suggest that a bill only lapses with the dissolution of the Parliament of the day. From what I gather, this is more a matter of convention than a codified law. So, really, if there is no legal barrier, they should simply forward it to the President.
If they are unwilling to do so, then they must provide clear direction. The only other viable option I see is to seek an interpretation from the Supreme Court. But they should remember that over 90 percent of Ghanaians support what I call the Profound Minimum Values Bill. Therefore, this matter must not be trivialized or toyed with. Ghanaians are watching very closely.
I suspect that if, within the next four to six weeks, Parliament fails to take decisive action, some of us will definitely seek the Supreme Court’s interpretation of what has actually transpired.
It is, in fact, a very good step to take, because I have, since last year, been concerned that the actions of our former President could set a dangerous precedent; one that future Presidents might follow. In such a scenario, Parliament may complete its work, yet if the Presidency or the Government of the day is unhappy with the outcome, they could simply refuse to receive the bill. That would be perilous for our democracy.
Therefore, this issue must be resolved; not only for the sake of this particular bill, but also to prevent the establishment of a precedent that could, in the future, undermine our democratic credentials. It could create a situation where, despite the clear will of the people as expressed through their representatives in Parliament, a smaller elite group or a captured state apparatus may choose to disregard that mandate. Such a development would be detrimental to our governance and democratic integrity.”
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Benjamin Sackey
