Maldives' Parliament clears media regulation bill amid protests against curbs on press freedom

The Maldivian Parliament on Tuesday passed the contentious Media and Broadcast Regulation Bill amid protests by journalists and Opposition leaders that the bill would give the government sweeping powers to curb press freedom, reported the Maldives Republic.

The Maldives Journalists Association had in August said that the bill represented a “grave threat poised to eliminate press freedom” and independence of the media in the island nation.

Journalists also protested the bill on Tuesday, when 60 MPs voted in favour of the draft legislation. President Mohamed Muizzu’s People’s National Congress holds a majority in the 93-member People’s Majlis. One Opposition MP voted against it.

This came after seven of the twelve MPs from the Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party were removed from Parliament for protesting against the bill, the Maldives Independent reported.

Opposition MP Ameen Faisal said that a legislative committee report on the bill was provided to the MPs at about 5.15 pm local time on Tuesday, The Edition reported. This gave them less than 15 minutes to review the bill before it was debated in Parliament.

The legislation has paved the way for media regulators – the Maldives Media Council and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission – to be dissolved and replaced by the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission.

Three of the seven members of the commission, including its chairperson, will be appointed by the president.

The four...

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