Parliament rejects resolution over PSM’s alleged discrimination and failure to provide equal coverage to MDP

The People’s Majlis has rejected a resolution submitted against Public Service Media (PSM), which accused the state broadcaster of discriminating against political parties and denying the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) the opportunity to disseminate information to the public.

During Monday's Parliament sitting, a vote was held on whether to accept a resolution submitted by the Member for South Galolhu, Meekail Ahmed Naseem. The resolution was rejected by a majority of 45 members, with only 8 members voting in favor of its acceptance.

The resolution stated that Public Service Media’s (PSM) objective is to remain a national media outlet that serves all regions of the Maldives, operating with editorial independence and free from influence, within the general principles and policies established by law.

The resolution notes that Article 5 (k) of the Public Service Media Act defines state media policy as striving to provide services without discrimination among the public. It further mandates that Public Service Media must ensure equal opportunity and fair representation for all individuals and diverse groups.

Furthermore, the resolution states that Article 5 mandates the state media to strive towards building an informed and aware citizenry across religious, economic, social, political, and other vital sectors. It also obligates the state media to keep the public updated on national and international developments, news, and information of significance to the Maldivian people.

Furthermore, the resolution stated that according to Section 30(a) of the General Elections Act, all broadcasters must allocate airtime for candidates and political parties to campaign through advertisements and programs. This requirement spans from the date the Elections Commission officially announces the candidates until 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the election, in accordance with the Act and its accompanying regulations. The resolution also noted that Section 30(b) of the same Act mandates that broadcasters must provide such airtime to all parties on an equitable basis.

To achieve this objective, Article 4 of the guidelines for broadcasting political content during election periods stipulates that the Public Service Broadcaster bears the primary responsibility for upholding the highest standards. This includes broadcasting voter awareness programs, ensuring equitable airtime for all candidates, and maintaining impartiality and accuracy in news reporting.

The resolution highlights that despite the legal requirement to prioritize public interest, the state media has disregarded established laws and regulations. Instead of operating as a national public broadcaster, it has functioned to serve specific groups, completely undermining the editorial independence mandated by law. The resolution further notes that the state media channels have historically deviated from the principles of fairness and impartiality to protect the political or personal interests of particular parties.

The resolution stated that the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was not afforded an adequate opportunity to provide the public with comprehensive information regarding the proposal to hold presidential and parliamentary elections concurrently, even by the time the public referendum to gauge citizen sentiment on the matter had concluded.

Furthermore, the resolution highlighted that the state broadcaster, Public Service Media (PSM), disseminated explicitly false information to the public by reporting that the ruling party had secured the majority of votes in the Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections held on April 4.

The resolution stated that news outlets have reported several promotions within the state broadcaster ahead of the council elections. These include the promotion of two individuals to the position of Executive Director, three others to Deputy Director, and a former Assistant Manager to lead the TV Production Department.