A media control bill has been introduced in parliament which allows the government to revoke the registration and impose heavy fines.
Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill was introduced on Monday by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru.
The new Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission will be established if the bill is approved by the government-controlled People's Majlis and ratified by President Mohamed Muizzu.
This means the current Broadcasting Commission of the Maldives (Broadcom) and Maldives Media Council (MMC) will be abolished.
The Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission will be made up of seven members, three of whom will be appointed by the President.
The other four members will be elected by the media. Media outlets that were registered less than five years ago will be barred from the election.
The bill does not explain why a commission to regulate the media needs members appointed by the President. It further states that the Chairperson of the commission will also be appointed by the President.
The bill gives the new commission substantial powers. These include fines of up to MVR 100,000 for media outlets and temporary cancellation of registration before a case is investigated. The commission can also go to court to revoke a registration.
The commission will also be empowered to issue orders to block a news website or stop a broadcast while it investigates a case.
The commission can investigate any complaint as long as the incident occurred less than one year ago. This means the commission will be able to investigate cases related to events that occurred a year before its ratification.
According to the bill, the commission will be run by a five-member committee appointed by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) until its members are appointed. The CSC is a government-controlled commission.
Additional powers given to the commission include determining the guidelines for the media, registering news outlets, compiling a register of journalists, monitoring the media and issuing licenses for broadcasting.
