President John Dramani Mahama has dodged questions on whether he would assent to the Anti-LGBTQ Bill if it were to be reintroduced in Parliament.
When asked by a foreign journalist if he would sign the bill into law, Mr. Mahama replied, “I do want to ask about the anti-LGBTQ legislation that we did see expire in Ghana earlier this year.”
When the journalist asked, several parliamentarians supported reviving it. If it came to your desk, would you sign it?”
President Mahama replied, “The old bill expired because it was not assented to by the president. There was a legal challenge. Eventually, the legal challenge was dismissed, so it meant that the president could assent to it. But it’s expired, so the question is hypothetical. It means that it has to go into Parliament again.”
When pressed on the issue further, Mahama emphasized the need for broader consultation and stakeholder engagement, saying, “I think that what we need is more stakeholder consultation to look at whatever new bill will come and make sure that we carry everybody on board.”
He also highlighted the importance of promoting family values, stating, “Proper family values are something we are all interested in, and we believe that it’s not only in the bills that we send to Parliament to regulate them but also in teaching our children those family values, even as they grow.”
Mahama quickly shifted to address concerns about potential backlash from international institutions, saying, “Well, I believe that multilateral institutions should avoid getting into cultural matters. This is a diverse world. We have different cultures. And so I don’t think multilateral institutions should include, you know, cultural imposition as part of their mandates. ”
“I don’t agree with that. If they decide to pull it, well, it’s their prerogative. But I don’t believe that multilateral institutions like the World Bank and IMF should include in their mandates how people behave culturally.”
Recent Engagement
In a separate meeting with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, President Mahama reiterated his stance on the Anti-LGBTQ Bill, suggesting that it should be reintroduced as a government-sponsored bill rather than a private member’s bill.
He stated, “The LGBTQ Bill died with the Eighth Parliament, but I think we need to have a conversation on that. I think it should be government-sponsored and not a private member’s bill.”
President Mahama also emphasized his commitment to upholding traditional family values, saying, “As a Christian, I uphold the principle and the values that only two genders exist, a man and a woman. And that marriage is between a man and a woman.”
Background
The Anti-LGBTQ Bill was introduced in Parliament in 2022 to reinforce traditional family values in Ghana.
The bill was passed in February 2024, but it expired at the end of the last Parliament.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
