Revised Media Bill passed with Counsel General's recommendations

Parliament's Committee on Independent Institutions has passed the controversial Media Bill again today, this time including recommendations from Parliament's Counsel General.

The bill was passed in yesterday's committee meeting as well, following which a review of the bill was once again scheduled for this afternoon. 

In a meeting held just a short while ago, recommendations from the Counsel General were included in the bill, before it was passed again. 

In today's committee meeting, ruling People's National Congress (PNC) MP Ibrahim Shujau (Baarah) proposed incorporating the Counsel General's recommendations into the bill, although he noted that the bill contains no legal inconsistencies. 

PNC MPs in the committee backed Shujau, and the bill was passed again including the Counsel General's recommendations. 

The only MP on the committee to vote against was opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem. 

At the meeting, Meekail voiced that while a parliament sitting to pass the bill has been scheduled for 4pm today, he still has not received a draft of the bill passed by committee. 

He asked how he could vote on the bill without receiving an opportunity to read it. 

"We should be granted a chance to read the final draft before the sitting," Meekail, the only opposition MP on the committee, asserted. 

However Committee Chair MP Hussain Riza responded that he would have received the chance had he attended yesterday's meeting. 

Meekail retorted that that opportunity had been lost due to the committee's actions. Meekail said that he had been denied the opportunity, and the bill had been passed, despite him having been present on the floor where the committee meeting was held yesterday. 

Meekail said that if recommendations had been received after the bill had already been passed yesterday, then the recommendations must be made clear in today's meeting. 

However, the committee ignored his requests for a copy of the draft bill ahead of the meeting, and went on to pass the bill. 

22 international organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, have called for the bill to be withdrawn, stating it alarmingly narrows press freedom in the country. Journalists are continuing protests near the parliament since this morning. There is also a group of people gathered calling for the bill to be passed. 

Journalists met with police obstruction at the protests, with some injuries having been sustained. 

Journalists have also submitted concerns about the bill to the President. A petition has also been submitted to both the President and the parliament calling for the bill to be rejected.