We are not reenacting anything – Majority Chief Whip defends swift LGBTQ bill push

The Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, says Parliament could pass the reintroduced LGBTQ bill within weeks as lawmakers prepare to begin debate on the legislation.

Speaking on PM Express on Tuesday, the South Dayi MP disclosed that the committee handling the bill had completed its work and was ready to present its report to the House.

“The report will be laid on Thursday,” he said.

According to him, Parliament is expected to receive two committee reports, including the report on the controversial Ghanaian family values bill.

“The committee has done its work. They will be laying the report on Thursday,” he stated.

Mr Dafeamekpor explained that once the report is formally laid before Parliament, lawmakers can immediately proceed with debate at the second reading stage and move the bill forward rapidly.

“When it’s laid, we can take the report, debate it, that’s as part of the principles for second reading, and adopt it,” he said.

“Once it’s adopted, we move into consideration.”

He indicated that Parliament could even decide to complete the consideration stage the following day and pass the bill shortly after.

“Consideration, we can even decide to do consideration on Friday, and pass,” he stated.

The Majority Chief Whip argued that Parliament was not starting the process from scratch, as the bill had already gone through the legislative stages and had been passed by the House.

“You see, the Ghanaian family values bill, we have already passed it,” he said.

He blamed the failure of the previous bill to become law on the former President’s refusal to assent to it.

“It was a certain president who decided not to sign,” he added.

According to him, the substance of the current bill remains largely unchanged from what Parliament had already approved before the process stalled.

“So the terms of the bill are essentially what Parliament had already passed,” he stressed.

When asked whether the bill would be passed this year, Mr Dafeamekpor responded confidently that Parliament would complete work on it within weeks, not months.

“Yes, in a couple of weeks, not even months,” he said.

“We’ll pass it once we do the second reading on Thursday or Friday, and with consideration, we can pass it.”

He also defended the possibility of an accelerated legislative process and warned the opposition New Patriotic Party against accusing the Majority of abusing parliamentary urgency procedures.

“But when we do consideration expeditiously, let the NPP not shout that we are abusing the certificate of urgency,” he said.

According to him, Parliament is moving quickly only because lawmakers are already familiar with the legislation’s contents.

“Because it will be rapidly done, because we cannot be reenacting what we have already read.”

المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)