The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, has accused officials appointed under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration of deliberately obstructing the transmission of the Anti-LGBTQ bill to the presidency. According to Ayariga, after the bill was passed by Parliament, certain NPP-appointed officials issued a letter warning Parliament against transmitting it, which he described as “nothing short of a threat to Parliament” and an attempt to undermine the constitutional independence of Parliament .
Key Points:
Allegations of Interference: Ayariga accused former NPP officials of interfering with the legislative process, citing a letter from the Office of the President that warned Parliament against transmitting the bill.
Constitutional Independence: The Majority Leader emphasized the importance of defending Parliament’s integrity and constitutional mandate, stressing that no one should be allowed to threaten Parliament in the discharge of its duties.
NPP’s Hypocrisy: Ayariga pointed out the NPP’s hypocrisy in the matter, noting that they had ample opportunity to pass the bill during their time in office but failed to do so.
NDC’s Commitment: The NDC government has reaffirmed its commitment to the legislation, with President John Dramani Mahama expressing readiness to sign the bill into law once it is properly presented to the presidency.
Ayariga has proposed that Parliament treat the bill as not yet passed and restart the legislative process to avoid potential legal and administrative challenges. He also called for the former Secretary to the President to be referred to the Privileges Committee for their actions .
