Presidency's request to withhold anti-LGBTQ+ bill a monumental threat to Ghana’s democracy – Haruna Iddrisu

Haruna Iddrisu, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, has voiced serious apprehensions regarding a letter from the Presidency instructing Parliament not to forward the Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values (anti-LGBTQ+ bill) to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for assent, labeling it as a significant challenge to Ghana's democratic principles.

The

Read full articleOffice of the President, in a letter dated March 18, 2024, and signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, the Secretary to the President, urged Parliament to refrain from sending the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to President Akufo-Addo for approval. This decision, according to the letter, is based on two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction before the Supreme Court.

Addressing journalists, Haruna Iddrisu criticized the directive, characterizing it as an attempt by President Akufo-Addo to assert dominance over other branches of government.

“I am unable to sleep because this is a monumental threat to Ghana’s democracy and a monumental threat to Parliament as an institution. By Article 93, we are clothed with legislative authority and legislative mandate," he said.

"This letter only reflects President Akufo-Addo’s quest for predominance over other organs of state and that is unacceptable and that must be fought by all persons who love democracy and who cherish the principles and values of the 1992 Constitution.

"The framers of our Constitution endowed Ghana with a separation of powers, the executive, the legislature, the judiciary, and a division of powers. It endowed us that Parliament shall be responsible for making laws and what powers does the president’s secretary have in writing to the Clerk of Parliament and not the president himself in writing directly to the Speaker of Parliament as is required by our standing order so that officially this can be read as communication from the president? So ideally, this paper means nothing and must be ignored by the clerk," he added.