Former Minister of State at the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, Hugo Swire as called on the
international community “to act to end eclipse of democracy in the
Maldives.”
Swire’s comments comes hours after Maldives Parliament, on Tuesday, voted to pass the ‘defamation and freedom of expression bill’, one deemed as the “death knell” of freedom of expression by local journalists and legal experts.
Prior to the vote, the former Minister tweeted that if the Bill were passed in Parliament, it would be a “very regressive step” for the country.
Despite concerns from both the international and local community, President Abdulla Yameen’s government issued a three line whip, ordering MPs to vote in favor of the Bill. The Parliament passed the Bill on Tuesday, with 47 votes in favor and 31 against. There were no abstentions.
The Embassies of the United States, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, the British High Commission, and the Delegations of the European Union to the Maldives had, on July 31, released a joint statement calling on Maldives President Abdulla Yameen "to reverse the backsliding of the past many months and return to the path of democracy, transparency, and rule of law – for the well-being and prosperity of all of the people in the Maldives."
The very next day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Maldivian government rejected the statement, and asked them to “return to facts and exercise objectivity.”
A statement issued by the Ministry maintained that the Bill “does not seek to criminalize free speech.”
Swire’s comments comes hours after Maldives Parliament, on Tuesday, voted to pass the ‘defamation and freedom of expression bill’, one deemed as the “death knell” of freedom of expression by local journalists and legal experts.
Prior to the vote, the former Minister tweeted that if the Bill were passed in Parliament, it would be a “very regressive step” for the country.
Despite concerns from both the international and local community, President Abdulla Yameen’s government issued a three line whip, ordering MPs to vote in favor of the Bill. The Parliament passed the Bill on Tuesday, with 47 votes in favor and 31 against. There were no abstentions.
The Embassies of the United States, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, the British High Commission, and the Delegations of the European Union to the Maldives had, on July 31, released a joint statement calling on Maldives President Abdulla Yameen "to reverse the backsliding of the past many months and return to the path of democracy, transparency, and rule of law – for the well-being and prosperity of all of the people in the Maldives."
The very next day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Maldivian government rejected the statement, and asked them to “return to facts and exercise objectivity.”
A statement issued by the Ministry maintained that the Bill “does not seek to criminalize free speech.”
source- https://raajje.mv/70609
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