Public Hearing On Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Resumes Today
The Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament will today, Monday, November 29, 2021, resume its public hearing on the series of memoranda for and against the Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill currently before the House.
The Bill seeks to criminalize LGBTQI+ activities in the country.
The public hearings are aimed at giving proponents for and against the Bill to explain to Committee members why they support or oppose the Bill.
Speaking to Citi News, Chairman of the Committee, Kwame Anyimadu, said eight persons or organizations will appear before the Committee today, Monday.
According to him, they will be given 15-20 minutes to do their presentation and then questions for clarification will be asked.
“The number of memoranda that we have received are many but we are envisaging eight or nine persons or organizations to appear before us today, Monday. We have read the memoranda that they submitted so they will be given some minutes to actually go through what they have submitted and then members will ask questions for clarification.”
The committee began its public hearing on Thursday, November 11, 2021. It, however, suspended its public hearings after day one citing time constraints as the reason.
“We haven’t finished with the public hearings. There are other memoranda that we have received but we are constrained with time and we cannot predict what time we would have to meet and continue,” the chairman of the committee said in an interview.
The Concerned Ghanaian Citizens which made an appearance on day 1 of the public hearing called on the committee to advise parliament to reject the Bill.
The spokesperson of the group, Akoto Ampaw, said the speaker of Parliament exercised unreasonable discretion in admitting the bill.
In the group’s view, the bill violates the fundamental human rights of Ghanaians and promotes hate.
Other groups that appeared before the committee on the first day of the hearing included the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, the Human Rights Coalition, Amnesty International, and Advocates for Christ.