Parliament to reverse LGBTQ bill’s passage over errors in penalties – Agalga

Parliament will rescind the passage of the anti-LGBTQ bill to correct errors in its penalty provisions, Majority Leader James Agalga has disclosed.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, he said mistakes in calculating penalty units could create serious problems when courts apply the proposed law.

“For instance, how to compute penalty units was completely done in error, in some cases,” he said.

The House will therefore reverse its approval at the third-reading stage. That will allow lawmakers to reopen consideration of the bill and correct the provisions before sending it to the President.

“The penal provisions are not aligned. They are not aligned properly,” Mr Agalga said.

He explained that the penalties must align with existing legislation. The corrections would leave the bill's substance largely intact.

“So, not much of substance would change.”

The planned reversal follows months of controversy over the bill’s May 29 passage. Speaker Alban Bagbin subsequently directed Parliament to revisit the process.

He raised concerns about procedural compliance and whether the bipartisan support recorded at committee level was reflected on the floor.

Then Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga defended the passage and maintained that Parliament had followed its rules.

The legislation also triggered disagreements over proposed exemptions for journalists, lawyers and health professionals.

Critics within Parliament argued that the changes weakened the bill. Its defenders maintained that the exemptions protected legitimate professional duties.

Mr Agalga said the latest intervention concerned how the penalties would be applied in practice.

“Otherwise, the bill as it stands in this current form would have serious challenges when it comes to implementation,” he warned.

He confirmed that Parliament intended to complete the corrections during the current meeting. Asked whether the bill would reach the President this month, he replied: “Absolutely”.

He also rejected suggestions that the delay reflected a change in the President’s position.

“Contrary to all the wild speculations that the President has shifted goalposts and all that. No, he hasn't.”

Mr Agalga said Parliament had identified the defects and was responsible for fixing them before transmission.

“We have the duty of enacting laws,” he said.