Call on armed forces to cease threats to media, uphold Constitution: MDP

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has expressed concern over the statement issued by Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) in the name of national security, which is now used to attack free media in the country.

In a statement released by MDP on Friday, stated that it was deeply concerning that official security given to the station was slashed and that the situation had reached to the point where regular programming has to be interrupted. It further noted that there were Commissions in the country that are tasked with the role of monitoring media. Bypassing these Commissions and directly issuing a warning to media, under the guise of national security, was a hallmark of military rule, the Party said.

MDP further said the action was unwarranted, given there was no situation in the nation that demanded a State of Emergency. Action of this nature, the Party added, only served to create mistrust of the security forces among the public. It further said the politicization of the armed forces and one branch of the state taking over the other branches was a serious issue.

MDP called on the armed forces to refrain from such action, uphold the Constitution, encourage freedom of press and media, and create a safe space for media to function.