Parliament has rejected the bill to establish a media commission, a year after it was proposed.

The bill was rejected at Tuesday’s sitting with 38 votes. 28 MPs had voted to approve the bill and two had abstained.

The bill was proposed by Ungoofaaru MP Jaufar Daood on behalf of the government in October 2017.

The bill proposes to abolish the media council and the broadcasting commission and to replace them with the Maldives Media Commission.

Some MPs have said that since the media council and the broadcasting commission have the similar task of regulating and monitoring the media, they often hinder each other’s work.

Last year, MPs debating the bill stated that abolishing the two institutions and forming only one to monitor the media would be more cost-effective.

The media council has stated that it has been unable to adequately fulfill its duties due to budgetary issues while the broadcasting commission has been criticized for being biased.