Ghana’s parliament is set to reconvene on Friday after being adjourned since March due to a disagreement over an anti-LGBT bill. Majority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated that the urgent recall was necessary to address ministerial appointees and other pressing matters, in a statement released to the public. This decision was made “in good faith to enable government to discharge its constitutional and democratic obligations to the people.”
The delay in parliamentary proceedings was caused by President Nana Akufo-Addo’s refusal to sign one of Africa’s most restrictive anti-LGBT bills that was unanimously passed by lawmakers in February. The president’s office explained that they would wait for the outcome of two legal challenges to the bill before proceeding with his approval. This delay has led to a standstill in parliamentary operations, including the approval of ministerial nominations following a government reshuffle earlier in the year.
Speaker Alban Bagbin, who adjourned parliament in March, voiced his concerns about the president’s actions, labeling them as unconstitutional. With a backlog of 21 nominees to ministerial and deputy ministerial posts awaiting confirmation, the emergency sitting on Friday will also address a $150 million loan agreement between the government and the World Bank’s International Development Association to enhance Accra’s economic resilience, as well as tax exemptions for businesses.
The speaker’s office emphasized that it is Bagbin’s “constitutional duty” to recall MPs and that the agenda for the sitting will be limited to the reasons given. The president’s decision to delay signing the bill stemmed from concerns raised by the finance ministry, warning that it could jeopardize significant international financing and loan packages, including $3.8 million from the World Bank and a $3-billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund. The Supreme Court intervened in
