Why Ghana reverse passage of controversial anti-LGBTQ bill
Wia dis foto come from, ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Ghana parliament don reverse di passage of di kontris controversial anti-LGBTQ bill wey dem bin approve for May dis year.
According to Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin di law wey dem pass bifor get wahala for di process dem use.
For parliament on 10 November, di speaker tok say di passage no also reflect di "bi-partisan support" wey di bill suppose get.
You go remember say for 29 May, di house bin amend some of di provisions wey dem pass di bill, even afta opposition lawmakers raise questions about di process.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) legislators tok say di house no form quorum (di minimum number of pipo for di chamber) to pass di bill.
Dem also accuse di majority National Democratic Congress (NDC) side of di house say dem "water down di original bill".
"Di majority no get any plan to pass di bill for 29 May, but dem rush am wen dem see say sponsors of di bill bin dey try to organise press conference to raise questions about di changes," Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour tok.
Im add say "dem pass di law without di right quorum – dat one na constitutional breach, di lawmakers be less than 50 dat day wen dem rush to pass di bill."
Wia dis foto come from, GHANA PARLIAMENT
Some changes for di bill wen dem pass am for 29 May
For di first bill wey dem pass for February 2024, any pesin wey promote, advocate and do propaganda for LGBTQ pipo, go enta prison for up to five years and up to 10 years if di advocacy campaign dey towards children.
Dis dey include medical pipo wey dey offer help for LGBTQ pipo, media pipo wey dey cova LGBTQ issues and odas wey dey use dia platform to discuss current affairs wey relate to LGBTQ activities.
Even researchers and pipo for academia wey publish dia work about LGBTQ pipo and dia activities go face sanctions as di previous law dey describe dat kain work as advocacy and promotion.
Lawyers and oda counsellors wey offer services to LGBTQ pipo also go dey guilty of advocacy and promotion.
But wit di new changes, all dis pipo (lawyers, journalists, doctors, researchers, pastors, counsellors and odas) no go dey guilty if dem offer dia services to LGBTQ pipo.
Dia work no go count as "advocacy or promotion" of LGBTQ activities, but pipo wey sponsor and fund advocacy of LGBTQ activities go dey guilty and fit face up to five years in prison.
But opposition lawmakers argue against di changes to di new bill, but parliament wit di majority vote, pass am.
"Di NDC govment use dia majority to water down di bill wey we first sponsor, now dem pass di new one wey neva dey tight, e dey lack bite," Rev Ntim Fordjour wey be one of di sponsors, tok journalists outside parliament afta di House pass di bill.
Di MP add say, "di target of di law be against promotion of LGBTQ activities, so to remove dis pipo - lawyers, medical pipo, media, researchers and odas, mean say dis new law no go bite.
Di govment MPs just pass dis edited law sake of politics."
Wia dis foto come from, ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/VI GETTY
Di bill gatz return to parliament for 'proper procedure'
For 2 June dis year, di speaker of parliament order di house to revisit di bill wey dem pass for 29 May.
Im tok say "even though di committee bin present dia report to show say na unanimous decision and bi-partisan support dey for di bill, di proceedings for dat day no show dis unanimous support."
"Ogbonge legislature like dis gatz proceed for solid foundation and parliamentary support from all sides of di house wey di processes suppose follow standing orders for parliament," Alban Bagbin tok.
Di speaker add say "if na minor errors, di parliament draft pipo fit correct am, but sake of dis one na decision wey di house gree for 29 May, di draft team no fit tamper wit am, dem gatz return am make di House do di proper tin."
Wit dis fresh decision; parliament go soon consider di bill again from di second reading stage.
E no dey clear if di changes wey dem do for di 29 May passage go stand or di House go return to di original provisions for di bill – wetin di sponsors bin propose.
If parliament later approve di bill, dat go be di third time dis controversial anti-lgbtq bill bin dey pass for di kontris parliament.
Dem go send am to di presidency make President John Mahama sign am into law.
For pipo from di LGBTQ community, weda dis fresh bill or di one dem pass for 2024, or di one dem go pass again afta di 'corrections', di value be di same.
Dem go kontinu to live in fear as dem dey do since tok-tok about di bill begin from 2024.
