Committee to complete media bill review in 2 weeks

The Independent Institutions Committee of Parliament on Thursday decided to open the new media regulation bill, which gives the government control of the media, for public comments and complete its review within two weeks.

The bill, introduced in Parliament last week as a private member’s motion with the support of PNC members, was accepted by Parliament on Wednesday and referred to the committee for consideration.

The committee met on Thursday to discuss deadlines and procedures for the bill.

The meeting was chaired by the committee chair and Judicial Service Commission (JSC) chair Hussain Riza Adam. During the session, PNC MP for Fuvahmulah South, Ibrahim Hussain, proposed:

The motion was supported by committee vice-chair, PNC MP for Kelaa, Abdulla Shareef.

“I believe this is a very important bill. And I would like to emphasise that it is very important to continue the work immediately,” Shareef said.

Riza announced that the motion had been passed, though he did not disclose the number of votes in favour.

He added that the committee usually consults with relevant authorities on such bills and intends to do so on Monday and Tuesday. This will include consultations with Maldivian newspapers and government agencies.

The PNC-led Parliament, with its supermajority, accepted the bill on Wednesday despite concerns raised by journalists and media associations. Journalists argue that the bill restricts constitutional rights to press freedom and freedom of expression.

On Wednesday, journalists protested against the bill outside Parliament, the President’s Office, and Muleeaage. Some were arrested and later released.