The anti-LGBTQI+ Bill has officially passed all legislative stages in Parliament and is now awaiting assent from President John Dramani Mahama to become law.
Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim, Philip Buckman, has confirmed that the legislative process is entirely complete, dismissing ongoing objections from the Minority as political noise.
According to Buckman, the matter is now settled from a parliamentary standpoint, and the official next step requires the Speaker of Parliament to formally transmit the final document to the President for his signature.
Mr Buckman emphasised that the passage of the bill by the ninth Parliament is absolute.
The current version stands as the final legislative action, and no further changes can be made by lawmakers unless a court explicitly directs otherwise.
While the President will thoroughly study the bill alongside his legal team and consult the Council of State before granting assent, the parliamentary debate on its contents has officially closed.
The lawmaker stressed that the only avenue left for critics, opponents, or disgruntled members of the House is to mount a formal legal challenge in court if they believe procedural breaches occurred during its passage.
“The legislative process is complete. The only remaining avenue for critics is to challenge the bill in court if they believe procedural breaches occurred.”
Addressing accusations from the Minority that the legislation was “watered down,” Buckman rejected the claims entirely, stating that the opposition’s resistance is rooted in political posturing rather than genuine legislative merit.
He clarified that the current bill is a brand-new draft unique to the ninth Parliament, as the older version from 2024 expired with the dissolution of the previous legislature.
This new draft underwent rigorous committee reviews and extensive debates from both sides of the House before its final passage.
Mr Buckman expressed surprise at the pushback from certain Minority members, pointing out that they were active participants in the amendment and committee processes.
He concluded that because the current parliament successfully passed the highly anticipated bill, the opposition is simply attempting to discredit the final product.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
