The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, says reason and logic would be used to pass the anti-gay bill now before the House.
The law, called “the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values,” has sparked passionate public debate for some time, with over 100 petitions sent to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs.
According to the Speaker, who was addressing the house when it resumed session on Tuesday, despite the numerous debates surrounding the bill, its passage would benefit Ghana’s budding democracy.
“This bill continues to generate a lot of interest and has taken and assumed some different dimension. For me, this is healthy for a maturing democracy like Ghana” adding that “it is important we allow various shapes of opinions to canvas their positions on the bill.”
He also urged lawmakers to be tolerant of divergent viewpoints as they debate the LGBTQI+ bill.
“As Ghanaians, I want to plead with us to accommodate the views of others and whatever perceptions they have, and let’s maintain the peace and coolness of mind and hearts. The parliament of Ghana is capable of handling the situation.”
He assured citizens that an enabling environment will be created for all to put across their views.
Speaker Alban Bagbin noted that Parliament will not only consider all relevant issues but would also use common sense before passing the proposal.
“It’s a law that will take into consideration the richness of the common sense human decency, morality, fact logic…” he said.
He, therefore, called for the participation of religious bodies, civil societies, and academia among others in the deliberations by the house.
As Ghanaians are expectant of the outcome of the deliberations on the bill, Speaker Alban Bagbin said the process including the sitting and decisions of the house will be made public.
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Source: Anthony Sasu Ayisadu/ATLFMNEWS
