site.btaPoliticians, Media Representatives Sign Agreement Not to Use Hate Speech in Election Campaign

Politicians, Media Representatives Sign Agreement Not to Use Hate Speech in Election Campaign

Sofia, September 23 (BTA) - Politicians and representatives of
the media Wednesday signed at the National Assembly an agreement
 not to use hate or discriminatory speech in public in the
course of the official campaign before the October 25 local
elections. The agreement states that the sides should unite
efforts to fight hate speech.

The document was signed by GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov,
the Deputy Floor Leader of Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) -
Left Bulgaria, Atanas Merdzhanov, Movement for Rights and
Freedoms (MRF) Floor Leader Lyutvi Mestan, the Joint Floor
Leader of the Reformist Bloc, Naiden Zelenogorski, Patriotic
Front Deputy Floor Leader Polina Karastoyanova, the Joint Floor
Leader of the Bulgarian Democratic Centre, Krassimira Kovachka,
ABV Floor Leader Borislav Borisov and the independent MP Georgi
Kadiev. In turn, the agreement was signed by representatives of
the Bulgarian National Television, the Bulgarian National Radio,
 the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), digital and printed media.

The agreement was initiated by media and non-governmental
organisations, including the Council for Electronic Media, the
Association of Bulgarian Radio and TV Operators, the Union of
Bulgarian National and Digital Media, the Union of Publishers in
 Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Regional Media Association, the Union
of Bulgarian Journalists, the National Council for Journalistic
Ethics foundation, the Media Democracy foundation, the
Marginalia Human Rights Association, the Bulgarian chapter of
the Association of European Journalists, the Media Development
Centre and the Free Speech Network.

The document is open to all political parties and media for
support.