MJA cancels executive council vote amidst chaos

The Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) has cancelled a vote to elect members to its governing executive council amid chaotic scenes.

Members disrupted the meeting over the secretariat’s decision to hold an open vote. Journalists called for a secret ballot claiming junior reporters would be compelled to vote for their employers in an open vote.

However, the secretariat decided to go ahead by counting hands in favor, but cancelled the vote when some members refused to back down.

This is the second attempt by the MJA – founded in 2009 – in the past year to elect its governing body.

Journalists also took issue with the absence of their names from the membership list.