Parliament resumes long-delayed assembly bill review
Members have noted that the bill should be completed as soon as possible.
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
The Security Services Committee of parliament on Wednesday resumed work on a 2019 bill to repeal an amendment to the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act, which was introduced by the former President Abdulla Yameen's government.
The majority of the current committee meeting has decided to complete work on the bill by the end of this month after significant delays.
On August 17, 2016, the Yameen government amended the act to allow any kind of rally, march or procession in the city only in places designated and publicly announced by the Home Ministry, except with written permission from the police. After the amendment was passed on August 23, 2016, only the carnival area was designated as a place for unauthorised gatherings.
After that:
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8 August 2019: Kaashidhoo MP Abdullah Jabir moved a bill to repeal the amendment, saying it severely restricts freedom of assembly
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5 September 2019: Bill referred to the Security Services Committee for consideration
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October 21, 2020: The bill was considered by the committee and passed
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25 October 2020: The report was rejected by the parliament and referred back to the committee
The bill has been pending at the Security Services Committee for four years now. The committee's meeting on Wednesday included a resumption of work on the bill.
At Wednesday's committee meeting, MP Ahmed Saleem moved to complete the bill by this month. The majority of the committee agreed to that.
Members have noted that the bill should be completed as soon as possible.
The Human Rights Commission (HRC) also called in September to expedite the work on the bill as it has dragged in parliament for years. Expressing concern over the delay, the HRCM said in a statement that the amendment to the Freedom of Assembly Act violates the right to freedom of assembly under Article 32 of the constitution, and the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
President-elect Dr Mohamed Muizzu has recently said that he would try to remove the provision passed during former President Yameen's administration to curb the right to assemble through the parliament and give the freedom of assembly to the fullest extent.
