Mahama Condemns President's Letter To Parliament On Anti-LGBT Bill, Calls It Unconstitutional
- John Mahama has condemned the Presidency for refraining Parliament from presenting the anti-LGBT bill
- He said the letter giving the directive is unconstitutional and should not be countenanced
- The President says he will not take any action on the bill until two suits filed against it at the Supreme Court are resolved
The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has described the letter from the Presidency refraining Parliament from submitting the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill to the Jubilee House as unconstitutional.
He said the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, had no authority to write such a letter to Parliament.
Source: Getty Images
Nana Bediatuo Asante had written to the Clerk of Parliament telling him that he was to desist from transmitting the anti-LGBT bill to the Jubilee House.
He said the bill is currently facing two challenges at the Supreme Court, and until those challenges are resolved, the bill should not be submitted to Parliament.
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see YEN.com.gh News on your News Feed!
He added that two interlocutory injunctions had been placed on the bill, one refraining the Parliament from transmitting the bill to the Jubilee House and another refraining the President from accepting the bill; thus, defying the injunctions could be deemed as undermining the authority of the court.
Reacting to the letter at a Town Hall meeting at Banda during his Oti Regional tour, Mahama said the reasons the Secretary to the President proffered contradicted the 1992 constitution.
He stated that the President’s secretary has no authority to block Parliament from carrying out its constitutional mandate. Thus, the letter was unlawful.
Read also
"You cannot be trusted": Sam George blasts Akufo-Addo over refusing to accept Ani-LGBT bill
Mahama said Ghanaian cultures and traditions abhor LGBTQ behaviour and has urged the President to assent to the bill.
Haruna Iddrisu blasts Akufo-Addo for hindering Parliament’s work
The former President’s comments follow a similar one made by the Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu.
The legislator accused the Presidency of obstructing Parliament’s work by refraining the Clerk of Parliament from presenting the anti-LGBT bill to Akufo-Addo.
Reacting to the letter on Tuesday, March 19, on the floor of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu said the President was reaching beyond his constitutional powers.
He said the incident was a manifestation of Akufo-Addo’s quest for predominance over the other arms of government.
He called on all well-meaning Ghanaians to resist the action as it threatened Ghana’s democracy and made a mockery of the rule of law.
He stressed that the action was an attack on the power and mandate of Parliament and that it must be fought.
Sam George blasts Akufo-Addo for refusing bill
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the chief proponent of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, Sam George, said that the President’s refusal to accept the bill is shameful and disgraceful.
According to him, the President's actions have proven to Ghanaians that he cannot be trusted.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Source: YEN.com.gh
