Parliament to tackle 2027 Budget, constitutional amendments and anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in 28 sitting days

Parliament will prioritise the 2027 Budget, a series of constitutional amendment bills and the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill during its 28-day sitting, Majority Leader James Agalga has said. Parliament was adjourned indefinitely on September 29, 2026, after the Minority’s motion for a bipartisan inquiry into major narcotics seizures was rejected. The House resumed on Tuesday for the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the House’s resumption on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Mr Agalga said the limited number of sitting days would require Parliament to focus on government business and key legislative matters. He said the Constitutional Review Committee had completed its work, paving the way for several constitutional amendment bills to be introduced during the meeting.

“Within this window, quite a number of constitutional amendment bills would be laid. When they are laid, some of the provisions that we may be seeking to amend are not entrenched. So, we would get very busy with those constitutional amendments,” he said. Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill to be considered Mr Agalga also indicated that Parliament would take up the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, also known as the Family Values Bill, during the sitting.

He said the government was committed to seeing the legislation through, adding that President John Mahama would assent to it if it is passed by Parliament. “That bill would be dealt with once and for all. And I want to assure you, the President will sign the bill into law in due course,” he said. Other bills before Parliament The Majority Leader said the Parliament Transition Bill, 2026, and the Parliament Bill, which seeks to amend the Parliament Act, are among the other pieces of legislation before the House.

Both are at the second-reading stage. He said some bills had reached the third-reading stage, but dismissed suggestions that Parliament intended to fundamentally alter legislation it had previously considered. “Nobody, and let me repeat, is seeking to change fundamentally any bill which has previously been dealt with by this august house,” he said.

However, he maintained that Parliament would not shy away from making changes where necessary to ensure that human rights and constitutional provisions were properly aligned. 2027 Budget and committee reports The 2027 Budget is expected to be presented to Parliament on November 12, 2026, after which the House will consider the Appropriation Bill. Mr Agalga also said the sitting would include the presentation of annual audit committee statements and reports from various parliamentary committees.

He said motions would be moved for the consideration of committee reports as they are presented to the House. “We are looking forward to receiving the reports of the committees in question. And as and when reports are laid, motions will be taken in respect of those reports,” he said. With 28 sitting days available before the Christmas break, Parliament faces a packed agenda involving the national budget, constitutional amendments and other outstanding legislation.