Voting on anti-LGBT bill will not be by secret ballot – Dep. Minority whip
The bill, popularly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill has garnered support from large sections of the population including leading religious groupings in the country.
The Deputy Minority Whip of Parliament, Ahmed Ibrahim has disclosed that Members of Parliament will be asked to openly vote on the adoption or otherwise of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghana Family Values Bill 2021.
According to him, the leadership of the Minority had held conversations on this matter and it had been agreed that the secret voting system be suspended in this particular determination.
Speaking on Accra-based Adom FM, Mr. Ibrahim indicated that the whips had been permitted to inspect the ballot of each MP before said ballot would be placed in the ballot box.
“Voting on [the anti-Anti-LGBTQ+ bill] will not be secret balloting. It cannot be by secret balloting. If it is in connection of voting or removal of somebody from office or election of somebody into office that is when we do secret balloting.”
“We have spoken to our leaders at party level, we will give you the paper and ask you to say yes, so you will write yes on your paper and show it to each other. Before the paper will be dropped in the box, the party whip will have to check,
The bill, popularly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill has garnered support from large sections of the population including leading religious groupings in the country.
It has however been met with some opposition by critics who believe that certain provisions in the draft bill are injurious to the rights of homosexual persons and their allies.
Different groups from within these separate blocs have all submitted memos to Parliament on their respective position, to aid in Parliament’s consideration or otherwise of the bill.
