Parliament to Hold Special Sitting Next Week

Parliament is set to hold a special sitting next Monday to elect presidents for the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC), according to People’s National Congress (PNC) parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Falah.

This will be the second special sitting held during the current recess. On 27 August, Parliament convened to approve new members for the HRCM and CSC, and to accept the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill, a move that drew criticism from opposition MPs and members of the press.

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The bill, introduced by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru, was approved with 49 votes in favour and 12 against. It is now under review by the Committee on Independent Institutions, which continued work on the legislation during the recess.

If enacted, the bill would impose fines of between MVR 5,000 and MVR 25,000 on individual journalists, while media organisations could face penalties of up to MVR 100,000. Journalists’ associations, rights groups, and media outlets have warned that the bill threatens press freedom and could tighten government control over independent reporting.

Meanwhile, North Feydhoo MP Ismail Nizar has called for the swift passage of the bill, even if another special sitting were required. Nizar made the comments following reports on lawmakers’ financial declarations, which showed wide disparities in income and assets among MPs. Parliament recently published the financial statements of 88 members, revealing that while some reported millions of rufiyaa in income, assets, and gifts, others disclosed bank balances of less than MVR 500.

Nizar, a member of the ruling PNC, expressed frustration over media coverage of his own financial statement in a Facebook post, questioning why such reporting had received significant attention. He later restricted access to the post after facing criticism.

In the meantime, the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has submitted a petition to the President and Parliament, signed by 151 journalists representing 41 media outlets, urging that the bill be rejected. The association has requested a four-month review period to examine the existing self-regulatory framework alongside the proposed legislation.

Parliament has not yet issued an official announcement regarding next week’s sitting.