Presidency’s Letter To Parliament Is A Threat To Ghana’s Democracy – Haruna Iddrisu

The former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, says the letter from the Presidency requesting Parliament not to transmit the Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values to President Akufo-Addo for assent, is a threat to Ghana’s democracy.

According to him, the directive is a reflection of President Akufo-Addo’s quest to dominate other organs of government.

“I am unable to sleep because this is a monumental threat to Ghana’s democracy and a monumental threat to Parliament as an institution. By Article 93, we are clothed with legislative authority and legislative mandate”, he stated while speaking to journalists on the issues on Tuesday March 19, 2024. 

The Office of the President, in a letter dated March 18, 2024, requested Parliament not to send the anti- gay bill to President Akufo-Addo for assent.

The Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, explained the rationale for sending the letter to Parliament, citing two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction before the Supreme Court.

Reacting to the development, Haruna Iddrisu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, urged Ghanaians to rally to prevent the President from overstepping his mandate.

“This letter only reflects President Akufo-Addo’s quest for predominance over other organs of state and that is unacceptable and that must be fought by all persons who love democracy and who cherish the principles and values of the 1992 Constitution,” he said. 

He explained that “the framers of our Constitution endowed Ghana with a separation of powers, the executive, the legislature, the judiciary, and a division of powers. 

“It endowed us that Parliament shall be responsible for making laws and what powers does the president’s secretary have in writing to the Clerk of Parliament and not the president himself in writing directly to the Speaker of Parliament as is required by our standing order so that officially this can be read as communication from the president? So ideally, this paper means nothing and must be ignored by the clerk,” Haruna Iddrisu stated.

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