The Effia MP and a member of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Isaac Boamah-Nyarko, has accused the NDC government of weakening the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill through amendments introduced after its reintroduction in Parliament.

Speaking on Newsfile on May 30, Mr Boamah-Nyarko said if the previous version of the bill was considered fit for purpose and ready for presidential assent, the same version should have been reintroduced in the Ninth Parliament without significant changes.

"Once we have come into a new Parliament, they should have presented the same bill," he argued.

Mr Boamah Nyarko noted that after the bill was referred to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, several amendments were proposed, a development he says has substantially altered the legislation.

He contended that the amendments have watered down key provisions of the bill and validated concerns that were raised during debates in the Eighth Parliament.

"The entire LGBTQ+ discussion between 2020 and 2024 was purely for political purposes," he alleged, arguing that the Akufo-Addo administration was unfairly portrayed as being opposed to the legislation despite concerns over some of its clauses.

According to him, the latest amendments address issues that critics had long highlighted, including provisions relating to legal representation and due process.

Read also: Mahama Ayariga insists Anti-LGBTQ Bill remains firm despite amendments

Mr Boamah Nyarko questioned why changes were now being made to aspects of the bill that proponents had previously defended as adequate.

"The amendments show that the concerns raised at the time were legitimate. If the bill was truly perfect, why are we seeing so many changes today?" he asked.

He maintained that the NDC government's decision to amend the legislation amounts to an admission that the original bill required further review and refinement before becoming law.

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NDC Weakened Anti-LGBTQ Bill - NPP MP

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