Africa-Press – Botswana. Minister for State President, Mr Kabo Morwaeng is expected to present three Bills to the National Assembly under certificate of urgency.
The Bills include that of political party funding, which seeks to provide for the regulation and funding of all political parties as well as access to information and data protection.
Mr Morwaeng requested Parliament recently that the Bill on political party funding be heard urgently considering that one of the recommendations of the commission on the review of the Constitution was that political party funding was fundamental.
“This Bill gives effect to the recommendation,” he said adding that it recognised the role that political parties played in the democratic society and therefore, their funding should be provided for,” he said.
He said for many years, there had been calls for political party funding therefore, the Bill was critical and should be dealt with before the dissolution of Parliament.
Minister Morwaeng said the Bill on access to information sought to provide for the right of members of the pubic to access information in possession of public authorities.
He said although the Bill had not matured, it was an important piece of legislation that the country had been waiting for.
“It is long overdue as it is critical to advance the freedom of expression in a democratic country like Botswana,” he said.
He said the Bill advocated that no person would be hindered to enjoy or express themselves freely and would further be free to receive ideas and information without interference.
The other Bill on data protection is expected to provide for continuation of the information and Data Protection Commission as well as to regulate protection of personal data and ensure that the privacy of individuals in relation to their personal data was maintained.
Emphasising its importance, Mr Morwaeng said the Bill was intended to protect fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons in so far as they related to privacy of personal data.
He said the Bill was important to be discussed arguing that delaying it to the last week of Parliament would curtail its debate.“This Bill affects all the citizens of this country as it seeks to regulate the protection of their personal data and ensures that their privacy in relation to their private matter is maintained,” he said, adding therefore it was important that it be debated before the dissolution of Parliament.
Mr Morwaeng further said the Bill was critical piece of legislation ‘in so far relates to anti-money laundering, counter financing of terrorism and counter proliferation financing.’
Meanwhile, Parliament agreed to the minister’s request that the three Bills be heard under certificate of urgency.
The three Bills were published in the Government Gazette on July 26 this year.
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