Don’t cry urgency – Majority Chief Whip warns NPP over LGBTQ bill debate
The Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, says Parliament could pass the reintroduced anti-LGBTQ bill within weeks, warning the opposition New Patriotic Party not to complain about the speed of the process.
Speaking on PM Express on Tuesday, the South Dayi MP disclosed that the committee handling the bill has completed its work and is ready to present its report to the House.
“The report will be laid on Thursday,” he said.
According to him, Parliament is set to receive two reports, including the one on the 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 presented, lawmakers can immediately proceed to debate and adopt it during the second reading stage.
“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.
He added that Parliament could move swiftly into the consideration stage and potentially complete the passage process almost immediately.
“Once it’s adopted, we move into the consideration stage. With the consideration stage, we can even decide to do that on Friday, and pass,” he noted.
The Majority Chief Whip argued that the current bill should not require prolonged deliberations because Parliament had already approved an earlier version, which failed to receive presidential assent.
“You see, the Ghanaian family values bill, we have already passed it. It was a certain president who decided not to sign,” he said.
“So the terms of the bill are essentially what Parliament had already passed.”
When asked whether the bill would be passed before the end of the year, Mr Dafeamekpor insisted the process would be completed much sooner.
“Yes, in a couple of weeks, not even months,” he declared.
“We’ll pass it once we do the second reading on Thursday or Friday, and with consideration, we can pass it.”
He also issued a direct warning to the opposition NPP against accusing the Majority of abusing urgency procedures if the bill is processed quickly.
“But when we do consideration expeditiously, let the NPP not shout that we are abusing the certificate of urgency,” he cautioned.
According to him, the rapid handling of the bill would simply reflect the fact that Parliament is already familiar with its contents.
“Because it will be rapidly done, because we cannot be reenacting what we have already read,” he said.
المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)
