The Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee passed the media bill after making several amendments on Monday, despite protests from journalists gathered at the committee room reiterating their demand for the withdrawal of the controversial legislature that seeks to replace the existing self-regulatory system with a government-controlled commission.
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 Broadcasting Commission of Maldives (BroadCom), replacing them with a single regulatory body — a seven-member Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC), composed of four members elected by the media and three appointed by the President of the Maldives with parliamentary approval, with the President also given the authority to appoint the commission’s head. It also empowers the MMBC to impose major penalties against media outlets as well as individual journalists, including during the investigative stage.
The bill, widely panned both local and international journalism groups, is openly backed by the PNC administration. Both international and local media rights groups, as well individual media outlets and journalists have demanded the withdrawal of the bill.
To be udpated...