Nasheed calls for political parties to meet over controversial Media bill

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has called for all political parties to come together for discussions on the Media Bill, which he described as a matter of national importance.

“The solution to this issue lies in a meeting of all political parties,” Nasheed said today, stressing that press freedom is vital, but also that journalists should be held accountable in their work.

The bill, originally moved by Thulhadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Abubakur, has already been passed by Parliament and referred to the Committee on Independent Institutions for further review. The committee has set a deadline of the 15th of next month to complete its work.

During a meeting with the committee today, the Broadcasting Commission and the Maldives Media Council (MMC) expressed strong concerns over the bill. Broadcasting Commission Chair Safa Shafeeq noted that further studies were required to decide whether the Maldives should adopt a self-regulatory or co-regulatory system for the media.

Meanwhile, MMC President Hussain Sageef warned that the bill was drafted with the intention of controlling independent media. He urged the Attorney General’s Office to prepare a new bill in consultation with stakeholders, arguing that the current version cannot simply be amended without raising further issues.

Journalists and the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) also voiced concern, meeting with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu last Thursday. Following the meeting, President Muizzu pledged to propose amendments through the Attorney General’s Office to prevent provisions that could give the President direct control over the media.

Under the current draft, journalists could face fines of MVR 25,000, while newspapers could be fined up to MVR 100,000. Media licenses could be suspended and news websites blocked. The bill also requires media outlets to issue apologies for publishing inaccurate information, though journalists have raised concerns about who will have the authority to determine what is “true” or “false.”

One of the biggest criticisms of the bill is that it grants the President the power to appoint three members to the media commission, a move that critics say undermines the principle of a self-regulatory system, considered the global best practice, and risks enabling government influence over the press. The bill also empowers Parliament to remove members elected by journalists, and grants state agencies, including the police, the authority to raid newsrooms if they are deemed to threaten national security.