New Delhi: The Maldivian parliament passed a controversial media regulation Bill in a special session on Tuesday (September 16) even as journalists, opposition MPs and members of the public staged protests against the law outside the premises.

As local media, opposition leaders and rights groups have cautioned against various aspects of the Bill, the US embassy in Male said on Tuesday evening that Washington supports media freedom and urged the Maldives to “uphold the freedoms of expression, including dissenting and opposition voices”.

Per local media reports and opposition leaders, the island country's parliament that is dominated by President Mohamed Muizzu's People's National Congress (PNC) passed the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill on Tuesday afternoon, with a legislative committee's report on the legislation allegedly shared with MPs only after the sitting began at 5 pm.

Seven of the principal opposition Maldivian Democratic Party's 12 MPs were escorted out of the House after they protested the legislation, following which the Bill received 60 votes from PNC MPs while one MP from the Maldives Development Alliance voted against it.

Outside the legislature, police in riot gear were seen pushing back protesters, who were reportedly gathered there since morning. Two people were detained and later released, reported the Maldives Independent outlet.

Although the Bill – re-introduced last month by an independent MP – that seeks to merge the Maldives' two media regulators into one body has been supported by the ruling PNC as curb on defamation, rights groups have cautioned against vaguely worded provisions enabling action against the media and and a lack of safeguards on the new regulator's independence.

At the same time, local outlet Sun Online has noted that the final version of the Bill that was passed on Tuesday contains amendments removing or modifying a number of controversial provisions. It reported that the exact contents of the legislation are yet unclear as it was not uploaded to parliament's website.

Among the Bill's reported provisions were a requirement for those who publish ‘false’ or ‘misleading’ information to make corrections or apologise once notified – even as it had been noted that the legislation did not clearly define ‘fake news’ – and powers to parliament to remove those members in the new regulator who are elected by media representatives through a no-confidence vote.

The new regulator, to be known as the media commission, is to consist of three members appointed by the president with parliament's approval and four other members elected by media representatives.

Sun Online reported that other provisions that had drawn concern were a requirement for the media to uphold national security and the legitimate government.

According to the outlet, which cited information provided by parliamentarians, the amendments made to the Bill include the removal of the power proposed for the president to appoint the media commission's chairperson, and of a provision empowering the regulator to shut down outlets while complaints are investigated.

Local media have also noted that the proceedings of the legislative committee that deliberated on the Bill have been marred by controversy.

According to opposition Maldivian Democratic Party MP Meekail Naseem, the report of this committee was shared with MPs minutes after parliament convened on Tuesday. The Maldives Independent also reported that the deputy speaker said normal procedural rules do not apply during a special session of the legislature.

In a statement issued after the Bill was passed, the US embassy in the capital city of Male urged the Maldives to uphold the right to free expression.

“The United States supports freedom of expression, including for journalists, as a fundamental freedom. We urge the Maldives and all countries to uphold the freedoms of expression, including dissenting and opposition voices,” it said on X.

The Maldives Journalists' Association said that Muizzu's party had “voted to muzzle the press”.

“Journalists stand together in defiance of this takeover of the media by the executive branch. MJA continues our call to reject the Bill and calls on President Muizzu to immediately reject this unconstitutional Bill,” it said in a statement.

Former president and Maldivian Democratic Party leader Ibrahim Solih said the Bill “signifies the end of press freedom in [the] Maldives” and that its passing marked a “sad day for democracy” in the island nation.

“The underhanded manner in which it was forced through parliament, despite protests by journalists, opposition parties, media organizations, civil society, and the public, lays bare the government’s disregard for Maldivians' democratic rights,” he said on X.

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