The Parliament of the Maldives has opened the proposal to ban the use of chemical weapons to public opinion. The bill is being reviewed by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security Services.
Parliamentarian Hassan Zaree proposed the bill on behalf of the government in June. It proposes to ban the production, preparation, storage, and use of chemical weapons in the Maldives and introduces regulations for the elimination of such items. Additionally, the bill proposes to form a chemical weapons unit that would be tasked with enforcing the ban on the import and use of chemical weapons and ordering the elimination of such items. The unit will also provide licenses to allow parties to produce, produce, store, or transfer chemicals.
The bill further proposes to establish regulations on issuing licenses as well as inspecting and approving storage facilities in accordance with court orders. The bill would make the production of chemical weapons a criminal offense that would result in a fine between USD32,000-65,000 or a prison sentence between 5-20 years.