Minority Alleges Anti-LGBTQ Bill Diluted Through Extensive Amendments

Accra, Ghana – The Minority in Parliament has voiced strong criticism of the recently passed Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, asserting that significant amendments have weakened its intended deterrent effect. Minority members, speaking at a press conference in Parliament, accused the government and the majority National Democratic Congress (NDC) of substantially altering the bill before its passage last Friday, rendering it materially different from the version previously presented for presidential assent.

The controversy centers on the extent of revisions made to the bill, which the Minority claims included numerous deletions, insertions, and redrafted provisions. These changes, they argue, have stripped the legislation of its original strength and commitment.

According to a co-sponsor of the bill, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the revised legislation is now a “pale shadow” of its initial text. He accused the government of abandoning its prior commitment to pass the bill without modifications, a stance he described as a “scam, a breach of trust, deception and hypocrisy.” Rev. Ntim Fordjour highlighted that the bill only required presidential assent in its previous form, recalling the NDC’s opposition calls for the then-President to sign it into law.

Rev. Ntim Fordjour, who is also the Member of Parliament for Assin South, further stated that President John Dramani Mahama had campaigned on a promise to sign the bill. However, he alleged that the bill presented to the current administration underwent substantial amendments, including 31 insertions and multiple deletions, before the President would assent to it. He questioned whether these changes align with the promises made to Ghanaians during the election campaign, emphasizing that the promise was to sign the bill, not to extensively amend it.

The Minority contends that the legislation as passed by Parliament no longer possesses the robust enforcement mechanisms initially envisioned by its proponents. Rev. Ntim Fordjour asserted that the amended legislation cannot be considered the same bill approved by Parliament in 2024, citing the extensive nature of the revisions. “You cannot subject a bill to 22 deletions and 31 insertions and still claim it is the same bill,” he stated, adding, “You have overhauled it. It is only the title that remains the same.”

The Minority is demanding an official explanation from the government regarding this perceived dramatic shift in its position on the legislation. They are questioning the factors that informed the NDC’s change of mind and its sudden alteration of stance. Specifically, they ask why the original bill, which was allegedly ready for presidential assent by the previous administration, was not presented to President Mahama in its unaltered form.

Despite their criticisms, the Minority reiterated their consistent support for the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill and Parliament’s legislative authority on the matter. Rev. Ntim Fordjour clarified that their concerns are not with the bill’s existence or Parliament’s role but with the perceived weakening of its original objectives. “Our concern is that the bill has substantially lost the force, bite, deterrent effect and efficacy that it carried in 2024,” he concluded.

The implications of these amendments suggest a potential dilution of the bill’s impact and may lead to further debate on its effectiveness and the government’s legislative process. Observers will be watching to see how the government responds to the Minority’s demands for an explanation and whether the amended bill will achieve its stated goals in practice.