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The Minister-designate of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has reacted to US President Joseph Biden’s decision to sanction countries that have yet to pass laws that welcome homosexuals.
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, responding to a question during her audit on Thursday, said Ghana’s laws clearly criminalize the practice.
She further pointed out that Ghana is a sovereign country and has its own laws that its citizens must abide by regardless of the relationship the country has established with other countries.
“Ghana is a sovereign country, but as part of our foreign policy we engage countries from all over the world; America is one of our best friends. But in this country we have laws. And our laws work and must work.
“So despite what anybody will say and in this case President Biden, the laws of Ghana criminalize illegal carnal relationships and therefore the laws of Ghana are definitely supreme and that is what we all adhere to”, a- she noted.
His statement comes after President Joe Biden released a memorandum on Thursday (February 4) to expand the protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people around the world, potentially including through recourse. financial penalties.
According to President Biden, all human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear, no matter who they are or who they love.
The memo further calls on U.S. agencies working overseas to work harder to combat the criminalization by foreign governments of LGBTQ status or conduct, and calls on the State Department to include violence, discrimination and anti-LGBTQ laws in its annual human rights report.
Meanwhile, commenting on whether his office would start processes to repeal the law that criminalizes the act, the former Anyaa-Sowutuom MP said, “This is the house of justice. This is where the laws are made. And therefore, I think the question is whether Parliament is prepared to repeal such a law. Parliament must therefore let us know when it will be ready.
However, the leader of the minority, Haruna Iddrisu, disagreed with her.
According to him, the executive arm of the government will be the institution that will initiate the repeal process for the legislature to accept or reject such a bill.
“Even if it is the Parliament according to the very provisions of the Constitution, in particular Articles 103 and 106; the executive remains the source or initiator of legislation. Parliament does not wake up alone and wants to work on laws. “
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