MDP MP admits mistake in failing to repeal assembly act, proposes full repeal
Meekail said the MDP had pledged to repeal provisions of the Act that restricted constitutional rights when the law was amended in 2016.
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Galolhu South MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said on Wednesday that the party made a mistake by failing to repeal the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act when it held a parliamentary majority in the previous MDP government.
Meekail has proposed repealing the Act in full to allow public demonstrations without prior permission. According to the bill, the reasons for repeal include:
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Article 32 of the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly without state permission
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The bill seeks to allow the public to exercise constitutional freedoms to the fullest extent
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Police powers necessary for public safety and social order are already provided for under other laws
Opening Wednesday’s parliamentary debate on the bill, Meekail said the MDP had pledged to repeal provisions of the Act that restricted constitutional rights when the law was amended in 2016. He said the MDP’s failure to do so after winning the presidency and securing a large parliamentary majority in 2018 was a mistake.
Meekail noted:
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The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) held a majority in Parliament for the first six months of the last MDP administration
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The MDP did not pursue repeal after the COVID-19 period despite having full control of government
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The current bill is being introduced with full acknowledgement of past errors
He said it was positive for Parliament to recognise political mistakes and take corrective action. Meekail recalled that the bill was first introduced by then-Kaashidhoo MP Abdulla Jabir, but was left pending.
He said the government continues to prosecute individuals involved in protests under the current law. After the bill was tabled, the MDP decided not to pursue charges against those arrested during a protest on 3 November. Meekail welcomed the decision, describing it as an admission that the existing legal framework was restrictive.
Meekail said the Attorney General’s Office and President Mohamed Muizzu have also stated previously that the Act should be amended. He urged MPs to support repealing the law.
Members of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), which holds a super-majority, spoke against the repeal during Wednesday’s sitting. They said the MDP had failed to repeal the law when it held power and accused the party of seeking to allow uncontrolled demonstrations.
President Muizzu, as an opposition candidate, had promised to amend the Act to allow gatherings without permission in all places except those related to national security and mosques. In his first presidential address, he reiterated that the law should be amended quickly.
The Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act was introduced in 2013 following a series of MDP protests after the change of government in February 2012. Further restrictions were added in 2016 under the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen, with the then PPM-majority Parliament requiring police authorisation for protests outside designated areas. The Home Ministry later designated only the area near the Carnival zone for protests without permission.
At the time, MDP Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared the law unconstitutional and said the party would continue protests against it. Solih campaigned for the presidency on a pledge to amend the law but did not do so during his term.
