The President's Office has claimed that journalists will be allowed to enter press conferences at the premises with mobile phones after the government faced criticism for banning mobile phones earlier in the day.
Journalists who attended a press conference at the President's Office on Sunday morning were informed that mobile phones would not be allowed during the press conference.
But journalists were given an exemption and allowed to enter with their phones as they were previously unaware of the rule. President's Office officials told journalists that mobile phones will not be permitted during future press conferences.
President's Office Communications Minister Ibrahim Khaleel told Adhadhu that the mobile phone ban was being implemented under the general security protocol of the premises.
He added that journalists were given special permission today and that this permission would be given to journalists in the future as well.
Khaleel claimed it is not the government's policy to prevent journalists from entering the President's Office for press conferences with their phones.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) told Adhadhu that there was no threat despite the sudden change in security protocol.
The protocol was changed two months ago to allow only employees and ministers of the President's Office to enter the office with phones.
"Not because of a threat. Under normal protocol, phones have not been allowed into the President's Office for two months," the MNDF spokesperson said.
During today's press conference, President's Office spokesperson Heena Waleed told journalists, "We will work to ensure that the special arrangement goes ahead so that the issue does not repeat."
This is the first time phones have been banned from press conferences in the President's Office. Political parties and journalists' associations have expressed concern while members of the public have also criticized the decision.
The Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) said it had expressed its concerns to the President's Office and noted that the phone is an essential tool for journalists during press conferences.
"This will disrupt the work of journalists and undermine freedom of the press," the MJA said in a statement.
People's National Front (PNF) Interim Secretary General Mohamed Maleeh Jamal said in a post on X that banning phones from press conferences is not a logical decision in the civilized world.
The new party formed by former President Abdulla Yameen condemned all actions that violate the rights of the press, which is specifically enshrined in the Constitution of Maldives.
Many people on social media have described the decision as an obstacle to freedom of the press and alien to the norms of democracy.
"This is unacceptable. Journalists should have the opportunity to communicate with their newsrooms," spokesman for the former government Miuvan Mohamed said.
Before coming to power, the current government said it would maintain a close relationship with journalists and would not impose any restrictions on freedom of the press.
