Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill: It's Never Done That Way - Majority Leader On Public Display of Votes
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Member of Parliament for Suame constituency, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has discounted reports that the House will allow for a public display of voting on the LGBTQI issue once it is done with debate in parliament.
According to him that is not done and anyone who proposes that does not understand the parliamentary proceedings of the House.
Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that the House has its ways of going about bills like this, and like other bills, it will go through all the process before a final determination is made on it and finally sent to the President.
"There is no law that is enacted that way," he said, adding that people suggesting that do not know how parliament works.
Voting will not be done via secret balloting
The Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, has hinted that voting on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values 2021, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill will be done in the open.
“Voting on [the anti-Anti-LGBTQ+ bill] will not be secret balloting. It cannot be by secret balloting. If it is in connection with voting or removal of somebody from office or election of somebody into office that is when we do secret balloting.”
In August, eight parliamentarians jointly submitted a private members bill to push for the criminalisation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer and their related activities (LGBTQ+) in the country.
The proponents also want the promotion, advocacy, funding, and acts of homosexuality to be forbidden in the country.
Since the controversial bill was made public, opposers have argued that should the bill be passed into law, it will be in violation of the fundamental human rights of individuals who identify with the group.
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