151 journalists submit petition seeking withdrawal of media bill

A petition signed by 151 journalists calling for the withdrawal of the proposed media regulation bill was submitted on Wednesday to Parliament and the President’s Office.

The petition was submitted at 1 p.m. and states that the bill was drafted without consultation with journalists, the public, or civil society organisations. It argues that the bill seeks to restrict the ability of journalists to carry out their responsibilities freely and would give influence to specific groups.

The petition also notes that the proposed commission under the bill would have the authority to temporarily suspend licences during investigations. It further states that replacing the Maldives’ existing self-regulatory media framework with a government-influenced system would undermine media freedom.

The petition was sponsored by Velidhoo MP Mohamed Abbas.

The bill, introduced by independent but pro-government MP Abdul Hannan Abubakar with the support of Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, was accepted by the government’s super-majority in Parliament. This is the second time Hannan has introduced such legislation; a previous version was passed despite criticism.

Following its acceptance, journalists staged protests outside Parliament, the President’s Office, and Muleeaage, demanding withdrawal. President Mohamed Muizzu met senior journalists last week but gave no commitment to withdraw the bill. Attorney General Ahmed Usham later confirmed that the government intended to proceed with the bill, though amendments were possible.

The bill is currently at the committee stage. In recent days, the Independent Institutions Committee has consulted with stakeholders including:

All raised concerns about the bill and expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of consultation during its drafting.

Local and international organisations have also urged Parliament to drop the bill.