Following a contentious few days that saw a chaotic committee meeting and floor protests, Parliament has moved to formulate new rules governing the conduct of visitors, including journalists, during legislative proceedings.
The announcement came after the new bill on media regulation was passed, despite strong opposition from journalists and the political opposition.
The controversy stems from the review of the Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill by the Parliamentary Committee on Independent Institutions. The committee worked largely behind closed doors, sparking dissatisfaction from journalists.
Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, who presided over the final extraordinary session on Tuesday, stated that some visitors had obstructed the work of the committee. He announced that a report on the matter had been submitted by the Sergeant of Arms and would be referred to the Parliamentary General Committee.
"It is a directive to amend the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament to prevent such things from happening again in future," Nazim stated.
“The new rules will set out the conduct to be followed by those present as visitors of the Parliament and measures to be taken if they violate them," he added.
During the committee meeting, two lawmakers had also clashed, resulting in damage to the sound system which will be referred to the parliamentary ethics committee for further investigation, Nazim said.
Throughout the bill's passage, the opposition and several media outlets staged protests both inside the parliament chamber and outside.
Despite the protests, the Media Regulation Bill was passed by the Parliament on Tuesday. The government has asserted that amendments were made to address concerns raised by journalists to the first draft. The new law will merge the existing Maldives Media Council and Maldives Broadcasting Commission into a new regulatory body.