Ghanatodayonline.com News, Politics, Health, Education & More
Before the House adjourns for the Christmas holiday, Speaker of the House Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin predicts that the anti-LGBTQ bill will be passed.
He claims that the bill is supported by both the majority and minority parties in parliament.
Speaking on Thursday, December 7, on the floor of Parliament, the Speaker said that democracy is developing and that the country is now strongly emphasizing accountability, openness, and transparency.
He emphasized that few members of Parliament are interested in the deliberative process when it comes to the consideration of bills, and he urged the MPs to refrain from insisting on a quorum in order for the House to move forward with the bill’s consideration.
“We are looking at those that are technically inclined to do those things and make sure that the right thing is captured in the bill.
“Whatever the situation, I know that nobody in this House is opposed to the bill,” he said, and added that “this bill will see the light of day before we rise,” Mr Bagbin.
His statement came after the first Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, adjourned the proceedings without taking up the bill that was scheduled to be the day’s business on Wednesday, December 6, creating a near-chaotic scene on the Parliament floor.
As they left the chamber, legislators on both sides spoke with each other.
Samuel Nartey George, a member of parliament representing the Ningo Prampram constituency and the primary sponsor of the private member bill, charged that the majority MPs were attempting to obstruct the bill’s advancement.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, December 7, however, Mr. Osei-Owusu gave the Speaker an explanation for why the House had to be adjourned.
Less than 50 MPs were present in the House, he said, highlighting the fact that this number did not constitute a quorum for conducting business, much less voting on the bill.
The bill’s sponsors shouldn’t assume that the Majority is trying to purposefully obstruct the process because the bill hasn’t advanced, according to the First Deputy Speaker.
Mr. Osei-Owusu went on to say that the bill should go through the proper steps in order to survive and eventually benefit the nation, stressing that there is no need to rush its passage.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
