Parliament bans hate speech during political campaigns

Parliament has passed clause six of the Political Parties and Organizations Amendment Bill 2019 that institutes a ban on hate or derogatory speeches among the different political players.

Under this clause, no candidate will be allowed to use derogatory language or abusive language against a fellow candidate and failure to respect the law, it will force the Electoral commission to withdraw your candidature from the race after a recommendation the National Consultative forum.

In the Parliamentary sitting that ended in the wee hours of Thursday, Parliament finalized the debate and passing of the long awaited five electoral bills that they have been scrutinizing for the last two weeks.

The bills that have been passed are: the Presidential Elections Amendment Bill 2019, the Parliamentary Elections Amendment Bill 2019, the Local Government Act Amendment Bill 2019, the Electoral Commissions Amendment Bill 2019 and the lastly the Political Parties and Organization Amendment Bill 2019.

But in the new changes made in the Political Parties and Organization Amendment Bill, Parliament has passed a clause that bans hate speeches among the different political players.

This is intended at bringing sanity before, during and after campaigns.

The other controversial clause that was passed, is clause 6 that bans supporters from causing violence against candidates, fellow supporters as they will be held accountable individually.

The other clause that was passed is the one that mandates political parties to streamline the behavior of their supporters during campaigns.

Now what is left is the clerk to Parliament to forward the five electoral bills to the president for assent and thereafter becoming a working law or Act.