The Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has reiterated its commitment to fight for the repeal of the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Value Bill, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, should President Akufo-Addo sign it into law.
According to the Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, they will continue to ensure that the bill does not become a permanent feature in Ghana’s legal framework.
“Assuming that this bill passes, we will continue to advocate for it to be repealed. So, we will continue to advocate against it,” he assured on JoyNews.
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Professor Prempeh further justified the organization’s stance against the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
He asserted that the bill goes against the tenets of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and should not be accepted.
“When you take the bill as a whole, we believe it offends the constitution because it violates one of the constitutional provisions designed to safeguard some separation of powers between what kind of bill the executive may propose and what can of bill parliament through a private members bill propose.”
“So article 108 states that unless a bill is introduced by or on behalf of the President, Parliament shall not proceed on it if it has some fiscal effects,” he added.
The bill, which was passed in Parliament on February 28, 2024, seeks to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities and prohibit their promotion, advocacy, and funding.
It proposes penalties ranging from a 6-month to 3-year jail term for offenders, while those involved in promoting or sponsoring such activities could face 3 to 5 years of imprisonment.
However, the bill has been opposed by many, including the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer, who has threatened to sever business relations with Ghana if it is assented to by the president and passed into law.