President's call for national dialogue on freedom of expression is timely - Speaker Bagbin
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has endorsed President Mahama's call for a national dialogue on freedom of expression.
Parliamentary Speaker Alban Bagbin has expressed his full support for President Mahama's call for a national dialogue on freedom of expression. The President has proposed that the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) convene a stakeholder engagement to tackle issues such as hate speech, abusive online content, and responsible digital communication.
The main aim of this initiative is to safeguard freedom of expression while simultaneously addressing the rising prevalence of harmful content on digital platforms.
Addressing the House on the day of the reconvening, Speaker Bagbin acknowledged the endorsement of the President's proposal. He pointed out that numerous senior citizens from across the political spectrum have expressed their concerns about the growing trend of harmful content on social media. Bagbin emphasized that efforts to tackle such content should not lead to curbing legitimate dissent or criticism of public officials.
The Speaker stressed that the national discussion needs to strike a perfect balance between preserving freedom of expression and addressing genuine instances of harmful content. He warned against allowing concerns about freedom of expression to be exploited to justify threats, incitement, false narratives, or reckless abuse of others. Bagbin affirmed that the President's proposal already recognizes this delicate balance.
In addition, Speaker Bagbin called upon the Parliament to play an active role in the national conversation, urging the committees responsible to take the lead. He expressed optimism that the forthcoming discussion would consider both the protection of freedom of expression and the appropriate response to harmful content. Bagbin reminded everyone that criticism of public officials, political disagreement, satire, dissent, and vigorous debate are all fundamental aspects of a democratic society, but they should never result in a deterioration of public discourse.
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