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Anti-LGBTQ+ bill case adjourned to July 29
The parties in a case at the High Court challenging the approval process of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill have been directed by the court to file their written submissions.
This follows the adjournment of the case to July 29. The plaintiff, Paul Boama Sefa who is a farmer, in his writ says the speaker of parliament did not adhere to the dictates of the Public Financial Management Act when he allowed for the bill to be taken through the approval process.
The plaintiff asserts that the bill did not have an accompanying fiscal impact analysis stating the estimated effect on revenues and expenditures for the financial year it is to be passed, in contravention of Section 100(1) of the Public Financial Management Act.
The case is the first to be heard since the Chief Justice decided to allow live media coverage for all cases related to the anti-LGBT+ bill.
The judge presiding over the case, however, adjourned the case to July 29 for the parties to file their written submissions.
The plaintiff has four weeks from today to file his submission. The defendants, including the speaker of parliament and the Attorney-General, will then file their respective submissions after the plaintiff has done his.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
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Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
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NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
