Editor of the Finder Newspaper, Elvis Darko, has described the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin’s, view on the passage of the anti-LGBTQ bill as a fair comment.
Speaking on the complaint raised by the Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, on the Speaker’s comment, he stated that the very persons who say free speech should not be stifled shouldn’t complain when the Speaker shares his opinion.
“I think its a fair comment and it is guided by maybe his belief system. If the majority leader is complaining about what the speaker has done,;its either they are admitting that they have not educated Ghanaians enough to understand the functions of Parliament, that is the roles and responsibilities of the house and what the speaker can and cannot do”.
Elvis Darko
According to Elvis Darko, free speech is allowed when an issue is out and it’s not a case in court about a prejudicial comment “on the market”, people are free to state their positions. He averred that the Speaker does not have a vote in the passage of the bill, so if he says the bill will be passed, it’s his opinion.
His comments stem from the Speaker of Parliament’s statement that the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill will be passed before the year ends.
Bill passage will be made by MPs
Elvis Darko disclosed that the decision to pass the bill will be made by Members of Parliament (MPs) not the speaker and the clerk. Furthering his argument, he said the MPs have power and will vote based on their own understanding of the law and personal belief.
“If you do not even have the right to vote for the bill to be passed or not and you say it will be passed, unless you are telling me that you are the one who dictates to the MPs how to vote. I don’t think that comment from the Speaker should even matter because he can’t vote. For me I don’t see the reason why they should even be complaining”.
Elvis Darko
Elvis Darko indicated that the Majority leader is trying to create the impression that the Speaker’s comment is putting pressure on the House to go in a certain direction.
Speaker made an emphatic statement
Editor of the Informer Newspaper, Andy Kankam, also commenting indicated that, the Speaker of Parliament was only making an emphatic statement that the practice is against the nation’s belief system and values and will be not allowed.
“And as Speaker, it will be refreshing for him to superintend over such a bill to be passed”.
Andy Kankam
He called for the cooperation between the leadership, that is the majority leader and that of the Speaker adding that the banter is unnecessary. He also urged that the leadership will cooperate so that at the end of the day, Ghana will be victorious in passing the bill.
“The speaker only shared his opinion and I think his comment came on the wheels of some threats from some diplomatic missions to our MPs that if they criminalize LGBTQ, they will be denied visa. So, what he was saying was that, whether they like it or not, the bill will be passed”.
Andy Kankam
