Protest at Committee reviewing media bill under probe; exploring possible action

Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, Dhiggaru MP Ahmed Nazim from ruling PNC states the protest staged by journalists, opposition lawmakers and members of the public during the Independent Institutions Committee, which reviewed the controversial media bill that

On August 18, Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakr, an independent lawmaker aligned with the government, submitted a bill that seeks to dissolve the Maldives Media Council (MMC) and the BroadCom, replacing them with a single regulatory body — a seven-member Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC).

The bill, widely panned by both local and international journalism groups, is openly backed by the PNC administration. The Parliament went into recess on August 19, but has been holding extraordinary sittings and committee meetings to work on the bill.

Despite the widespread concerns over the legislature’s implications on press freedom and freedom of expression, the Independent Institutions Committee passed the bill with multiple government-drafted amendments on Monday late afternoon, as journalists and opposition lawmakers broke out in protest.

Meanwhile, a petition signed by 151 journalists from 41 different media outlets demanding the withdrawal of the bill was rejected by the Petitions Committee on Tuesday afternoon, after the committee voted 7-5 that the concerns raised in the petition had been properly addressed.

The bill passed the floor vote during an extraordinary sitting of the Parliament held on Tuesday evening. While 60 lawmakers voted to pass the bill, only one voted against it: Velidhoo MP Mohamed Abbas.

Meanwhile, four amendments proposed by Fonadhoo MP Mohamed Mamdhooh, a lawmaker from PNC, passed by unanimous consensus.

The bill, along with the amendments made during the committee stage and the four amendments proposed by Mamdhooh, passed with a majority vote of 60-1. The sole dissenting vote came from Mohamed Abbas, a member of the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), who had sponsored MJA’s petition against the bill. The amendment includes the provision that allows for the commission’s president to be directly election by the Maldivian President, to have the commission’s president elected through a vote among commission members

Nazim, who was presiding over the sitting addressed the Parliament after the vote. In this regard, Nazim said individuals who were permitted to listen to the proceedings during the committee stage had acted in a manner that infringed the dignity of the Parliament and what was contrary to acceptable behavior. He added that the Parliament’s chair has received a report formulated by the Parliament’s Serjeant-at-arms regarding the matter.

He announced the chair’s intention to forward the report to the General Purpose Committee.

“This directive aims to set guidelines for the conduct of individuals attending Parliament as guests, along with the consequences for non-compliance, to be included in the Parliament’s standing orders in order to prevent a recurrence of such incidents,” he said.

The Independent Institutions Committee reviewed the bill during meetings held out of session. The press was barred from two meetings. Journalists who entered as guests for one meeting were removed from the premises. Monday’s meeting was attended by a large number of journalists and lawmakers who are not members of the Committee.

Despite the widespread concerns over the legislature’s implications on press freedom and freedom of expression, the Independent Institutions Committee passed the bill with multiple government-drafted amendments proposed by the committee’s deputy chair, Kelaa MP Abdulla Shareef on Monday late afternoon, as journalists and opposition lawmakers broke out in protest.

During the chaos, as Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir, a lawmaker from the main opposition MDP used a microphone at the committee room to voice his objections to the bill, South Henveiru MP Hussain Imran Latheef from ruling PNC was caught on camera snatching the microphone from the hands of Mauroof and Thoddoo MP Hussain Sameer, another lawmaker from the MDP. Imran snatched the microphone from them and dropped it to the ground.

Imran, citing three of them were at fault, said he has arranged to pay for the microphone, which was damaged.  

Speaking during Tuesday’s sitting, Deputy Speaker Nazim said the issue will be forwarded to the Ethics Committee for review.