The second reading of the Bill on Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, also known as the Anti-LGBT bill, could not be conducted in Parliament this week due to the absence of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.
Chairman Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi and Ranking Member Bernard Ahiafor were both unavailable during the scheduled reading of the bill.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had directed the Business Committee to table the Anti-Gay bill for debate this week. However, despite the motion appearing on the order paper on Thursday and Friday, the House was unable to proceed with it.
Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra, a proponent of the bill, expressed his concern and demanded answers for the delay in progressing the legislation. He highlighted that the bill had been advertised for two days but had not been included in the Business Statement.
In response to the situation, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu explained that the absence of the Committee Chairman and Ranking Member had hindered the progress of the bill. The second reading could not take place without their presence.
The delay in conducting the second reading of the Anti-LGBT bill has generated attention and raised questions about the next steps in advancing the legislation.
Supporters and opponents of the bill alike will be closely monitoring the developments in Parliament as they await further action on the controversial legislation.
