Kamala Harris and Akufo-Addo’s conversation on LGBTQ bill

President Akufo-Addo welcomed the Vice president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris to the Jubilee House as she began her 9-day tour of Africa in Ghana. The two leaders had a discussion on several issues including human rights.

Prominent in the discussion was the current anti-LGBTQ bill before Ghana’s Parliament. Though the USA Vice President did not explicitly address any parts of the bill, she commented on the need to support freedom.

During the discussion at Ghana’s seat of government, Kamala Harris said, “I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting the freedom and supporting the fighting for equality among all people, and that all people be treated equally. I will also say that this is an issue that we consider, and I consider to be a human rights issue, and that will not change”.

Though not a direct comment on the bill, it somewhat relates to it as the bill seeks to prevent any form of activism for people identified as belonging to the LGBTQI+ community.

In his response, president Akufo-Addo noted that he will come in later but now the Attorney General is working on the legality of it as it is being considered by Parliament.

“First of all we don’t have any such legislation here in Ghana, a bill has been proposed to the Parliament of Ghana which has all kinds of ramifications which is now being considered by the parliament,” Akufo-Addo noted.

“It hasn’t been passed, so the statement that there is legislation in Ghana to that effect is not accurate. No legislation,” he remarked.

“The bill is going through the parliament, it’s going through the parliament. The Attorney General has found it necessary to speak to the committee about it regarding the constitutionality or otherwise of several of its provisions and the Parliament is dealing with it but at the end of the process, I will come in,” he added.

“I have no doubt that the Parliament of Ghana will sure as it is done in the past, one first of all, its sensitivity to Human Rights issues as well as to the feelings of our population and we’ll come out of the responsible response to the to to the proposed legislation,” Akufo-Addo emphasised.

Also, the president added that the bill “is a private member’s bill. This is not an official legislation of the government but it is one that has been mooted by a handful of private members. So we will see what the final outcome of it is. But my understanding from a recent discussion I had with the chairman of the committee is substantial elements of the bill have already been modified as a result of the intervention of the Attorney General, we will see what the final outcome will be”.