Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor says a future John Mahama presidency is prepared to immediately assent to the controversial LGBTQ bill once it is laid before him.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, the South Dayi MP said the biggest obstacle to the bill in the past was not Parliament, but presidential assent.
“I am not the one who will sign… let me explain,” he said, recalling that the bill was driven through Parliament with “passion” by himself and Sam George and successfully passed.
According to him, the bill stalled only because the President at the time refused to assent to it.
“The President refused to assent to it. That was what killed that bill,” he said.
Mr Dafeamekpor argued that the fate of the bill raised serious constitutional questions, because Parliament had already completed its work on it.
He said the bill had effectively matured into an Act of Parliament and was only awaiting assent, making its collapse legally questionable.
“So constitutionally speaking, what is the fate of a bill that was no longer a bill that had become an Act of Parliament, but pending assent?” he asked.
He noted that the matter ought to have been tested at the Supreme Court, since a bill, in his view, only dies with the life of a Parliament.
“But this one, it wasn’t a bill. It was an Act of Parliament,” he said. Mr Dafeamekpor explained that the decision not to pursue that legal route was influenced by practical considerations.
He said litigation would have required significant time, money, and resources, after Parliament had already invested heavily in the legislative process.
“We had ventilated it, because you see, in doing these things, it costs money and resources and time and everything,” he said.
Despite the setback, the Majority Chief Whip was emphatic that the bill will be reintroduced and passed again.
Pressed by host Evans Mensah on whether Parliament would pass the bill again, Mr Dafeamekpor shifted the focus to the presidency.
“I am saying the person who will sign says, ‘My pen is ready. The ink is dripping’. If you bring it today, I’ll sign it the next minute,” he said.
Asked directly whether the bill would be brought back to Parliament, his response was unequivocal.
“We’ll bring it,” he said.
Mr Dafeamekpor said assurances have already been given to faith-based institutions and religious bodies across the country.
He said both Christian and Muslim groups, who have taken a strong interest in the bill, have been engaged.
“We want to assure the nation and all the faith-based institutions and religious bodies… that this bill will pass, just like we did a year or two ago,” he said.
He stressed that the key difference this time is certainty at the presidency.
“But the difference is that the President, before we even kick start that process, is in readiness to sign,” he added.
The comments come against the background of intense national debate over the LGBTQ bill, which was passed by Parliament but left unsigned by the President, triggering legal uncertainty and political controversy.
The bill has been strongly supported by religious groups but opposed by human rights advocates, who argue it infringes on fundamental freedoms.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
