Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, the nominee of Ghana’s ruling party for president, declared on Thursday that, should he be elected in December, he would not tolerate “the practice of homosexuality.”
President Nana Akufo-Addo is under pressure to ratify one of the harshest anti-LGBT laws in Africa, which has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and the UN.
Speaking after the conclusion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Bawumia stated, “It is vital to underline that our cultural and societal norms and beliefs as Ghanaians frown on the practice of homosexuality.” She did not specifically mention the bill.
For the first time as a candidate, he stated his stance: “All the major religious traditions in Ghana are opposed to this practice and I stand opposed to it now and I will stand opposed to it as president.”
Similar remarks were made in January by John Dramani Mahama, Bawumia’s principal contender for the presidency.
Many in the culturally conservative West African country, where homosexual conduct is already criminal by up to three years in prison and LGBT persons frequently endure harassment and abuse, will be sympathetic to their views.
Transgender activist Angel Maxine of Ghana called Bawumia’s position “extremely dangerous and bigoted.”
She stated in a statement, “This is political propaganda, and LGBTQ+ lives shouldn’t be used as a tool of diversion and scoring political point(s).”
A bill that will toughen the crackdown on LGBT rights and penalize anyone who support lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender identities was unanimously approved by parliament in February.
Notwithstanding a warning from the finance ministry that the law may jeopardize $3.8 million in World Bank financing and derail a $3 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund, proponents of the bill have persisted in pushing for its passage.
Before sending the legislation to Akufo-Addo for ratification, the president’s office has stated that it is awaiting the resolution of two legal challenges.
Should the measure become law, anybody convicted of “wilful promotion, sponsorship, or support” will be held accountable of LGBTQ activities” will face up to five years in prison.
The United Nations said in 2021 that the then-draft law would create “a system of state-sponsored discrimination and violence” against the LGBT community in the West African country.
(Reuters)
