Sub-Saharan Africa
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Ghana's Parliament Convenes Special Session After Break to Approve Ministers, World Bank Loan

CC BY 2.0 / World Bank Photo Collection / Lawmakers meet during a session of Parliament in Accra
Lawmakers meet during a session of Parliament in Accra - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 18.05.2024
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Ghana's legislative sessions have been suspended since March by Speaker Alban Bagbin over President Nana Akufo-Addo's refusal to sign or veto an anti-LGBT* bill passed by parliament in February.
Ghana's parliament, which has been adjourned since March, reconvened on Friday and approved the appointment of ministers and a loan from the World Bank, local media said.
Lawmakers reportedly approved ministers and deputy ministers nominated by the president in February, despite a walkout during the session by the minority faction protesting the bloated government apparatus.
Also discussed was the approval of a $150 million loan agreement between the government of Ghana and the World Bank. The majority group, led by Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, argued that the loan was necessary to ensure that drainage systems were emptied and to prevent flooding in the Greater Accra Region at the onset of the rainy season.
The motion was eventually passed with 137 votes in favor and 132 against, including the minority faction, local media said.
Parliament met on Friday for the first time since March.
Speaker of Ghana Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin speaks at the Parliament House in Accra, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 17.05.2024
Sub-Saharan Africa
Ghana's Parliament to Reconvene Friday After Suspension Over LGBT Bill Dispute With President
In late February, Ghana's parliament passed a bill that criminalizes people who identify as LGBT and those who advocate for LGBT rights. Those who have sex with members of the same sex face five years in prison under the proposed legislation.
In March, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo said he would wait to review the bill, saying it would be challenged in the Supreme Court because a citizen had challenged its constitutionality.
In response, Speaker Bagbin said in March that the president's action violated constitutional provisions governing the legislative process in the West African country and suspended parliament.
MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor later filed a mandamus petition to compel the president to act on the anti-LGBT bill within seven days. The case was dismissed by the High Court in late April.
* The "LGBT movement" is classified as extremist by the Russian authorities and is banned in Russia.
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