Parliament to hold extraordinary sitting next week
The legislature is currently in recess and is scheduled to resume officially on 1 October.
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Parliament will convene for an extraordinary sitting on Monday next week, following a request from the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC).
The legislature is currently in recess and is scheduled to resume officially on 1 October. However, the Independent Institutions Committee of Parliament has set Monday as the deadline to conclude its work on the proposed Media Bill, prompting the call for an early session.
An earlier extraordinary sitting was held last month, also at the request of PNC members, to schedule debate on the bill. The PNC has since continued to push for its swift passage.
The Media Bill, which seeks to regulate journalists and media outlets, has faced criticism from journalists, the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (BroadCom), the Maldives Media Council (MMC), and several international organisations.
Journalists have raised concerns that:
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the proposed commission will be temporarily overseen by a committee of the Civil Service Commission, which has no mandate over media regulation;
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the provision allowing removal of four of the seven members of the commission could lead to political influence;
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successive governments would be able to exercise control through state media, where many journalists are employed;
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the bill grants investigative powers to the police and other institutions that extend beyond criminal cases; and
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the clause permitting action against journalists for publishing false information undermines freedom of expression and contradicts the principles of multi-party democracy.
The committee has held meetings with journalists to seek their views, but professional bodies and watchdogs continue to call for the bill’s withdrawal.
