In a historic move, the Labour-led Welsh Government has committed to pioneering legislation that will make lying in politics illegal.
Members of the Senedd have described this initiative as a significant step toward combating the "existential threat" that dishonesty poses to democracy, according to Ziare.
In Two Years
Following a dramatic debate in the Welsh parliament, government counsel Mick Antoniw announced that the legislation would be introduced before the next Welsh elections, scheduled in two years.
Antoniw stated that the government plans to present a law that will disqualify members and candidates found guilty of deliberate deceit through an independent judicial process.
Moving Towards Global Change
Adam Price, a Plaid Cymru politician who has been a leading advocate for banning lies by politicians, emphasized the importance of this initiative, calling it both "historic" and "a global first." Price stressed that truth is fundamental to democracy and that the erosion of trust in politicians represents an existential threat.
The Welsh legislation aims to differentiate itself from laws in other countries that prohibit lying only under specific circumstances. Instead, it seeks to introduce a comprehensive ban on deceit by politicians. Price pointed out that a small minority of populist demagogues deliberately distort the truth for political gain, thereby undermining public trust.
According to the Welsh Government, this legislative effort is just the beginning of a global movement to eradicate political dishonesty.
The proposed law marks a bold step towards restoring faith in the political process and ensuring that truthfulness becomes a standard in political discourse.
