The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has accused the governing National Democratic Congress of adopting a contradictory stance on the controversial anti-LGBTQ bill after assuming office.
According to him, the NDC strongly supported the passage of the bill while in opposition and used the matter as a political tool against the previous Akufo-Addo administration.
Speaking on the issue in an exclusive interview with TV3 Tuesday, May 12, Afenyo-Markin claimed the NDC in opposition at the time was more interested in using the LGBTQ debate to gain political advantage than addressing the legal and governance implications surrounding the legislation.
“This whole LGBTQ thing, I think our friends in opposition were more interested in winning elections by blackmailing the Akufo-Addo government,” he stated.
The Effutu MP argued that the NDC now in power is struggling with the same bill it once pushed for aggressively while in opposition.
“I knew that the NDC itself upon coming into power would have difficulty in signing the bill and I have been proven right,” he said.
“Our friends in the NDC, they have been caught by their own blackmail and they will struggle a bit. The very thing that they themselves wanted to push on our government, they cannot take it,” he added.
He further questioned recent comments by President John Dramani Mahama indicating that further consultations were needed on the proposed legislation.
According to Afenyo-Markin, the President’s remarks suggest that the government now recognises complexities surrounding the bill that were ignored while the NDC was in opposition.
“Mr. President himself indicated that there must be further consultation. Why further consultation? What must be looked at again?” he asked.
The Minority Leader also criticised the suggestion by President Mahama that the bill is not government priority currently, describing the shift in tone as politically inconsistent.
“He is a communicate expert so he knew what he was saying when he again said that ‘that is not is priority.’ But that is where many people think that it is too much of a mischief.
“You were in opposition and did not speak against the law in its shape and form, but now that you are in office, you have seen the reality,” he remarked.
