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A group of 10 parliamentarians in Ghana has returned to send a controversial bill that would impose some of the most difficult restrictions of LGBT rights in Africa.
The bill prescribes a three -year prison term for people who identify themselves as homosexuals, and five to 10 years for promoters and defenders.
The legislation was approved by Parliament last year, but the former president, Akufo Addo, refused to sign it before leaving office in January, citing legal challenges.
It has been widely condemned by local and international human rights groups, and some describe it as Draconian.
The original bill expired at the end of the previous Parliament. It is not clear if the speaker of the new Parliament will admit the bill for consideration.
Gay sex is already punished with up to three years in prison in the conservative country of Western Africa.
President John Dramani Mahama has said that he would prefer that the bill be sponsored by the State, ensuring broader support and consultation.
“I think we should have a conversation again so that all of us, if we decide to advance that invoice, move forward with a consensus,” he said.
Supporters claim that legislation would help preserve what they consider Ghana’s culture and family values.
However, the rights groups have denounced legislation as draconian.
“The Anti-LGBT Rights Law is inconsistent with the ancient tradition of peace, tolerance and hospitality and flies in Ghana,” said researcher Human Rights Watch Larissa Kojoué last year.
“Such law would not only erode the rule of law in Ghana, but it could also lead to greater free violence against LGBT people and their allies.”
Elikem Fiatsi, a Trans Ghanesa woman and LGBT activist, told Reuters news agency that the reintroduction of the bill was “discouraging and difficult to process”, but insisted that LGBT activism would continue.
The potential impact of the bill on Ghana’s economy is a significant concern.
The former Minister of Finance of the country warned that passing the bill could result in Ghana to lose up to $ 3.8 billion (£ 2.9 billion) in the development funds of the World Bank and affect his support program of the IMF of $ 3 billion (£ 2.3 billion).
The opposition legislator, John Ntim Fordjour, told Reuters that the country no longer needed to fear economic sanctions, citing the election of the president of the United States, Donald Trump.
“The global political climate is favorable for conservative values as demonstrated in the bold conservative pronouncements of President Donald Trump,” he said.
The bill was presented for the first time to Parliament in 2021, but has faced many delays.
