The Attorney General’s Office has submitted amendments to the “Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation” bill during the committee stage. Taking advantage of the opportunity to propose amendments during the committee phase, the Attorney General’s Office has put forward 14 amendments. Among these amendments are proposals to address concerns in certain articles of the bill.
Amendments proposed by the Attorney General’s Office:
- Including in the Commission’s responsibilities under Article 7 of the bill the task of working to prevent the spread of anti-Islamic content, morally degrading content, and content encouraging obscene acts
- Amending Articles 17, 19, and 20 of the bill to exclude any role for the President in appointing and dismissing Commission members, as well as in appointing the Commission’s chairperson
- Amending Article 18(f) to prohibit Commission members from being members of political parties, rather than just holding positions in political parties
- Amending Article 28 to give the power to remove a Commission member who no longer meets the qualifications or characteristics to those who voted to elect that member
- Including in the media ethics standards under Article 39 the requirement to present news and information fairly and transparently, in addition to providing truthful information
- Amending Article 41 to include respecting individuals’ personal privacy as a standard for disclosing personal information, rather than prohibiting unjustified intrusion into personal freedom
- Replacing Article 42’s “Standards for Disclosing Information in Controversial Issues” with “Standards for Disclosing Information in Matters of Public Interest” and elaborating on these standards
- Adding standards to the responsibility of disclosing truthful information under Article 44
- Adding an article requiring editors of media outlets operating in the Maldives to meet qualifications set by the Commission to ensure the quality of information and content
- Establishing a temporary adjudication committee to investigate complaints submitted to the Commission or cases the Commission decides to examine, and including related procedures in the bill
- Removing Article 67, which allows for measures to be taken against individual journalists and media workers
- Including an article stating that a specific amount should be allocated annually from the state budget for the Commission’s expenses, based on the Commission’s recommendation
- Further elaborating on the definitions of public order, national security, and electronic media included in the bill
- In addition to these amendments, the government has also proposed removing Article 66(f), which gives the Commission the power to temporarily revoke a media outlet’s registration as an administrative measure while investigating a case
The bill was submitted to the People’s Majlis by MP Abdul Hannan Idrees of the Thulusdhoo constituency. It has been stated that this bill was proposed to advance and develop freedom of the press in the Maldives, maintain press freedom, prevent the spread of false news, and establish guidelines for media outlets and journalists to ensure responsible use of rights granted by the Constitution.
