With financial statements not submitted, MP Nizar urges expediting the media lockdown bill

People’s National Congress (PNC) MP Ismail Nizar has called for the media bill to be expedited after media reported him among five MPs who have not disclosed their financial statements to parliament.

The Parliament Office released the financial statements of 88 of the 93 members on Wednesday.

Five members did not disclose financial statements, and the parliamentary office did not say which members.

According to the parliament's website, the five members showing not to have disclosed their financial statements are:

• Mahchangolhi Central Constituency MP Ahmed Zameer

• Maafannu North MP Mohamed Nazim

• Maafannu West Constituency MP Mohamed Musthafa Ibrahim

• Kurendhoo Constituency MP Mohamed Shamin Habeeb

• Feydhoo North MP Ismail Nizar

In a post on social media, MP Nizar said this is not the first time that the financial statements of members of the parliament have been made public. He questioned why some media outlets in Maldives have paid so much attention to the financial statements this time.

Nizar said the financial statements of all members of parliament are being made public as per the rules of the parliament. He said the parliament would take action against members who do not comply with the rules.

He condemned the fact that some media outlets have made the list and published it in a way that misleads the people. He also called for the media bill to be expedited.

"I call for the expedited passage of the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill, which is in the committee stage of the parliament”, Feydhoo North MP Ismail Nizar wrote on Facebook.

According to the rules of the Parliament, members must disclose financial statements one year after they are sworn in. Therefore, the members of the current 20th Parliament must submit their financial statements before the 31st of August, 3 months after their oath taking year after the 28th of May.

In short, financial statements of Members of Parliament must be submitted before August 31 of each calendar year.

While MP Nizar has been condemning media outlets for publishing that he is in a list of members who failed to procure his financial statement upon due, and calling to expedite the passage of the bill, it is important to note that it was quite obvious during the bill’s debate in parliament that the pro-government MPs support the bill.

The media bill is currently in the committee stage of Parliament. The bill has been accepted to parliament amid protests by many journalists, from both home and abroad. The Media Council and the MJA have also labelled the bill to be proposed to kill free press, intimidate journalists and bring news agencies under government control.