The reintroduction of the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Parliament has hit a snag after the legislation was quietly removed from Wednesday’s Order Paper, sparking renewed debate over its current status and future.
The bill, officially known as the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, had been listed for consideration on Tuesday, October 21, but was conspicuously missing from the agenda the following day.
Explaining the development on the floor of Parliament, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga said the removal was based on the understanding that the bill had already been passed by the previous Parliament and forwarded to the Presidency for assent.
“We indicated that we thought the bills had been passed by this house already and had been sent to the presidency for assent. And so, we didn’t see the need to reconsider a bill that has already been passed by this house, waiting for presidential assent,” Ayariga told lawmakers.
