The Minority Caucus in Parliament has made it clear that they will not tolerate any further delays in the approval process of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
Minority Chief Whip Governs Agbodza stressed that any consultations regarding proposed amendments by the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin must be completed before Wednesday. He cautioned that the Minority would not tolerate any actions perceived as prolonging the process beyond that deadline.
The bill, which was approved by Parliament on Thursday, February 8, includes a three-to-five-year jail term for those who deliberately promote or sponsor LGBTQ activities. Individuals caught in the act would face a minimum sentence of six months and a maximum of three years.
However, Mr Afenyo-Markin raised objections to a specific provision in the bill that could lead to the imprisonment of individuals engaged in LGBTQ activities. His intervention during the third reading of the bill prevented its immediate passage, sparking debate over the contentious legislation.
While Afenyo-Markin supports the principles outlined in the bill, he opposes the clause about the imprisonment of individuals associated with LGBTQ activities. In response to his concerns, the Minority Chief Whip reiterated that any further delays in the approval process would not be tolerated.
“We should also be clear in our minds that we will not unduly always find a reason to postpone the progress of this bill to another day. Because, as we said the other day, everything that he [Afenyo-Markin] has raised in his proposal, he took about an hour here speaking about it, but he keeps giving reasons why we cannot deal with it. So we are giving him ample time to do the consultation because there will be no more filibustering after Wednesday.”
The Minority Caucus is standing firm on their position and is determined to push the approval process forward without unnecessary delays.
