Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, who is also the primary advocate for the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023, has voiced his dismay over the president’s decision to withhold assent from the legislation.
He contends that the president opted to politicize the bill instead of prioritizing the well-being of vulnerable women.
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“I think that he [President] is being misled or better still he is choosing politics over the protection of human rights. He is choosing politics over the protection of women’s rights. He is choosing politics over protecting vulnerable women in various witch camps probably dying on a daily basis,” he said.
During an interview on JoyFM’s Newsnight on Monday, December 18, 2023, he shared his reservations. These remarks come in the wake of President Akufo-Addo’s decision to withhold assent to the bill, citing constitutional concerns related to Article 108.
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The Madina MP expressed dissatisfaction with the President’s rationale, finding it unclear. He pointed out that in 2021, President Akufo-Addo had supported the bill and advocated for a bipartisan approach to its passage. Therefore, it seemed perplexing that the President was now citing Article 108 as a basis for his refusal.
The Madina MP emphasized that all legal procedures were diligently followed, with the active involvement of the Attorney General. Consequently, he found it challenging to comprehend the President’s expressed concerns.
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Mr Sosu said, “For me, for the President to choose petty partisanship over the protection of the greater good of our society, the human rights of our people. For me, it is quite sad.”
“You will recall that when this bill was sent to the president, I mean on the second of August, the president assented through the bill that abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes under the Criminal Offences Act.”
“It was only when the other bills were presented that he refused to assent to the others and then decided to withdraw assent for the first one. So, the whole thing does not even make sense to me,” he lamented.
On December 4, President Akufo-Addo disclosed his inability to sign into law certain crucial bills passed by Parliament, citing specific constitutional concerns. Notably, among these bills are the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023 and the Armed Forces Amendment Bill 2023.
In July, Parliament approved the Armed Forces Bill, aiming to amend sections of Act 29 and the Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105), with the intent of replacing the Death Penalty with life imprisonment.
The Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023 addresses various issues, including the prohibition of declaring, accusing, naming, or labeling an individual as a witch, among other related matters. Despite parliamentary approval, the President’s hesitance to sign these bills revolves around constitutional considerations.