Main opposition Party MDP has expressed concern about the newly proposed Media bill, which the party states denies the rights of journalists.
A bill has been introduced in Parliament to abolish the Maldives Media Council (MMC) and the Broadcasting Commission and create a new commission to regulate the media under the name of the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission.
The Bill was proposed by the MP for Thulhaadhoo Constituency Abdul Hannan Abubakar. In his Bill, MP Hanaan who is an independent MP, states that the ruling party would hold majority power over the new media commission.
In its statement, MDP stated that the Attorney General had said before the government intended to combine MMC and the Broadcasting Commission and to have an independent MP submit such a bill is a sly move on the government's part.
MDP said similarly, that the provisions in the bill that allow media and journalists to be fined are intended to interfere with the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and pen and stop the work of journalists and media as the fourth arm of democracy.
It also said that the media has the primary responsibility to monitor and hold the government accountable and the party will not support any law that undermines the freedom of the media.
