Mahama, not Bagbin, can return anti-LGBTQ bill to Parliament, says Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
via GhanaWeb5 min read
Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has challenged Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin's directive to revisit the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated in an interview on Kessben TV that the Constitution does not permit the Speaker to return a bill to the House once it has been passed through all legislative stages, including First Reading, Second Reading, Consideration Stage, and Third Reading. He argued that if any procedural issues arise after a bill's passage, it is the President, not the Speaker, who can initiate its return to Parliament after consulting the Attorney General. This comes after Speaker Bagbin directed Parliament to re-examine the anti-LGBTQ bill due to concerns about the bipartisan support reflected in the committee report not being adequately demonstrated during House proceedings. President Mahama has also indicated that the bill is far from becoming law due to unresolved procedural and constitutional concerns. Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, on May 29, to regulate LGBTQ+-related activities in Ghana. A similar bill passed in 2024 did not become law after former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo declined to assent to it.
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