Professor H Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director of CDD
• The CDD Executive Director has said he is unsure about the president’s stance on the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
• According to him, parts of the 98-page document goes against the supreme laws of Ghana
• The Bill was drafted to deter individuals or groups from advocating for the LGBTQ movement in the country
The Executive Director of Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor H Kwasi Prempeh, has expressed doubts about the president’s stance on the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill that is being laid before Parliament today.
Speaking at a webinar series organized by the Mandela Washington Fellowship Association of Ghana, he noted that although the Bill may be passed by Parliament, as to whether President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will append his signature on the document is uncertain.
“As for passing in Parliament, it may well pass, whether or not the President will sign the Bill into law, it is doubtful.” He noted as quoted by Joy News.
Explaining his stance on the matter, Prof Prempeh highlighted some constitutional gaps in parts of the Bill which he noted is likely to be challenged even beyond the courts of Ghana.
The CDD Director for instance noted a section of the Bill which sought to ban people from advocating for the legalization of the LGBTQ in the country adding that it only infringes on the right of an individual to belong to a particular group of their choice as stated in the laws of Ghana.
Describing the pending Bill as “extremist”, he further noted that the country is treading on a “slippery slope.”
“We should be cautious because the moment a Bill as extremist as this, is passed, it opens the door to other things. Because this is the most radical it can get, and if it passes, it means we can legislate a lot of other things. So for me, this slid down a slippery slope is something we have to avert by all means.” He said at the webinar.
“It might even go beyond Ghana’s courts. It could go to regional courts because I think this is a very extreme display of intolerance,” he stated.