The Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee has passed the report on the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation bill after the Counsel General of the Parliament advised that the proposed legislation does not contravene any rights granted by the Constitution.
Under Parliament rules, bills submitted to the committee stage must be reviewed and passed by a vote of the committee members. Once approved, the committee report is submitted to the Counsel General, who assesses whether the bill conflicts with the Constitution or existing laws. The committee report is passed based on the advice of the Counsel General.
The committee passed the bill on Monday and submitted its report to the Counsel General, who confirmed that the draft bill was consistent with the Constitution and other laws. Although no constitutional concerns were raised by the Counsel General, several recommendations were made, which were adopted by the committee before being approved by a majority of committee members.
The Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill was initially introduced by Parliament Member Abdul Hannaan Aboobakuru. Several government-proposed amendments were later brought to the bill. The amendments were submitted on behalf of the government by Parliament Member Abdulla Shareef.
Among the key changes approved were amendments to Articles 17, 19 and 20 which removed any role of the President in the appointment and removal of the President of the Commission. Article 18 was also revised to prevent commission members from belonging to a political party, expanding the earlier restriction that only barred members from holding office in a political party.
Article 41, which sets out standards for the disclosure of personal information, was also amended to emphasise respect for the personal freedoms of individuals concerned.
The committee also deleted Article 67 of the bill, which empowers the Commission to take measures against individual journalists and media personnel, and Article 66(f), which empowers the Commission to temporarily suspend a media outlet’s registration as an administrative measure until a case is concluded.
The bill is intended to promote and develop press freedom in the Maldives, safeguarding against the spread of false information, and ensuring responsible exercise of constitutional rights by the media and journalists.