The Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has claimed the government has “captured and rebranded” the state media, the latest salvo in an ongoing dispute between parliament and the government over which institution should have jurisdiction over the state broadcasters.
“Equal opportunity from state media is one of the basic characteristics of democracy,’’ said a statement issued by the DQP. “There is no one who would dispute that the most important [component] of a steady democracy is establishment of a free media.’’
The party accused the government of seizing the the assets of Television Maldives and Voice of Maldives, and refusing to transfer the assets to the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) which was established by the parliament to monitor the state media.
The party further claimed that the government was seeking to “mislead” people by rebranding the state broadcasters’ parent company to the ‘Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation’ (MNBC).
“This reveals the characteristics of a government that is uncivilised, stubborn and dictatorial,” the DQP statement said, concluding with a prayer “to protect [the country] from this kind of leadership.”
DQP claimed that when the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the opposition, they were “always accusing the then government of misusing the state media.”
‘’As a result, MDP in their manifesto wrote in bold letters that they would establish a free media,’’ the statement said.
“It proves that MDP also wished for independent media before they came into power, however today we are witnessing that MDP has failed to fulfill their own pledges stated in their manifesto.’’
“After the bill on Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) was passed in the parliament and the board was appointed, the government realised that the board members were not the type of people that would stick to anything the government did, and they forgot what they had written in their manifesto,’’ DQP claimed. “Now the government is trying to prevent Voice of Maldives and Television Maldives from becoming independent.’’
MDP parliamentary group leader and MP Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik said that historically DQP had been against the MDP manifesto, but was now supporting it self-interestedly in parliament’s bid to take over state media.
“To me it’s a joke that all these days they have been against our manifesto, and then suddenly they point at it for their self-interest,’’ said Moosa, accusing the DQP of dictatorship in turn.
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
MBC yet to finalise plans for new “Dhivehi TV” channel- Training concerns raised as MBC cuts political content from state broadcasts
- Opposition expects government will transfer state media assets in spite of High Court ruling
- Handover of state broadcaster “best decision I’ve made”: President Waheed
- MDP accuses state media of “blatant propaganda” in letter to Maldives Broadcasting Commission
- MBC to sue Finance Minister for withholding its budget
Wow, wow, wow... hey Rose??? wake up and accept the reality.
MNBC is a registered company/corporation under the Maldivian Law. they have their own rights and they are the owners of their assets. They have the registration certificates to prove it.
MBC is a puppet corporation which has been brought in by the opposition strong Parliament to bring the media under their hands. We Maldivians are aware of your political games and are sick and tired of it. Tell me, can Parliament pass a resolution that says, "with immediate effect Rajje Chambers and its assets will belong to MBC"????? Will you agree and hand over?? surrender??? If so, MNBC also will do the same!!!!!
Are you nuts ROSE?? We are sick and tired of the opposition trying to stop the popularity of our President. Have you seen how the lands are reclaimed and how the roads are bbeing paved?? Fast isnt it? Now you are are bothered and are feeling uneasy cause, we Maldivians have now started to see the fruits of this goverment and you all know that you dont have a chance to stand against His excellency Nasheed for teh next term.
Go President GO!!1 We are with you. people are with you. No matter what these so called politacl leaders say. you have been acknowledged by the world and selected as 2nd best president in the world. you made us proud.
Oh, Selfish ROSE and party!!!! get the F--k away from this Nation..
Hilmy
Addu
I wish the MDP-government would seize the State Media completely.
I hate it when the last remnants of the Maumoon regime get on TV and keep shooting lies faster than a baseball machine set to P-plus.
Oh how i used to respect Hassan Saeed. I even thought of voting for him.
And how far he has fallen.
For once Reeko Moosa is saying something of essence. When DQP is so against MDP's manifesto and its privatization efforts why are they now holding the manifesto and calling for it to be implemented.
Hassan Saeed should just learn to accept defeat nicely. It seems DQP does not matter to even DRP anymore, a couple of days ago they were complaining how DRP and MDP had divided the supreme court bench among themselves.
Better DQP rename theselves as CWP, Complaining and Whining Party.
whats wrong with the maldivian pysche???? has anybody heard DhiFM or DhiTV or the VTV???? can anybody really be that biased??? Come my fellow maldivians dont you think it is time for us to open our eyes to realilty instead of blindly following some would be saviour for eternity.. My point being that TVM and Radio Maldives has never in its history been more fairer to the people of the maldives.
I say why dont we all start up a signature drive and get a petition to hold a referundum to annul the parliament???? it would be more fairer on the people...
Wake up Reeko,
You still think you are acting in a film with Haajara. Those days over. be a man moosa. because of you big mouth does not know to respect others, MDP is not respected by the majority Majlis and people. If you just leave MDP and go and shout against Anni on DhiTV and Radio will be better for MDP. You and few others have hijacked MDP. When you were not elected to the Riyaasee Candidate, what did you do? you were on DhiTv and Radio's. Did you know how MDP became Iththihaad? Later when you knew you lost politically then on your own came to Haruge and again you big mouth has started and it hurts MDP as whole. We can repected by 75% for sure if we can have a humble, respected, peace loving Majlis Leader. We are sick of you and with what ever respect you think you deserve we will give you still. but please shut up and work with people to ge MDP respected and supported or please join Gasim and go away. We have people nufeli kankurevidhaane.
Is rose refering to Maumoon Broadcasting Cooperation (MBC) or loan Star Manik Broadcasting Cooperation (MBC)???? ROSE (Dr.Hassan) I am afraid we cannot make you the president of Maldives as you are married to a foreigner and you are preaching us Foreign investment is bad!! lol!
I quote from the article:"This reveals the characteristics of a government that is uncivilised, stubborn and dictatorial,” the DQP statement said, concluding with a prayer “to protect [the country] from this kind of leadership.”
I wonder if DQP had thought this:
It’s always typical of DQP and it reveals their strong support for“Blue Forever Mission” and it's leader's itching desire for power grab. And it had become typical for DQP to support “Blue Forever Mission” and to attack anyone and any establishment that doesn’t agree with their ranting , deceptions, and lies out of their uncivilized partisan politics.
AND it’s more typical for them to garb and protect all the so called liberal, independent bodies and media that so vehemently trying to help the resurgence “Blue Forever Mission”. In case of DQP, they have their own agenda ("so openly hidden") as well.
This is not a nation of yellow, blue, red, purple, green separately.
This is Republic of Maldives and it belongs to the people of this nation as a whole(in Green,Red,White as ONE color).
May Almighty GOD save us from the deceptions and lies of all within our society.
Unlike DhiTV and VTV, TVM and VOM are run with money from state coffer. This is our concern.
MDP can set up private channel --may be MinivanTV.
When Maumoon was in power MDP advocated to free the state media. They said TVM and VOM should be supervised by a board approved by the parliament. In April, Nasheed even ratified the bill to establish MBC. But when the parliament rejected Hoarafushi Khaleel and Madulu Waheed, Anni flushed down the toilet all his philosophy about freeing state media. Huh! so much democracy!
yes President Go! I mean go n get lost. Also take with you Hoarafushi Khaleel and Madulu Waheed!
@ Ahmed Aliased: I extracted the following paragraph from the blog that u run: "I do not care for your filthy religion, and I will see to that this tainted, corrupted religion of yours - and all Abrahamic religions, for that matter are properly suppressed - so that no one will live though what I have been forced to endure."
We are in a country in which the parliament controlled by the remnants of the former dictatorship sets up a Media Corporation, not, as Rose claims,to monitor the media, but to run a tv station and a radio station. Then they revised the Public Finance Act so that parliament becomes the Finance Ministry and the Tender Board; Next the parliament will establish MGBS-- Maldivian Government Bodu Sarukaaru! And as the first step down that road, the parliament is set to take over the MNDF and the Police. And Rose thinks all that is fine?
A Rose by any name may still smell the same; Likewise, hypocrites by any name still act the same!
Never had any party such potential as did DQP; but never had any party failed so miserably as DQP!
Dr. Hassan and Dr. Jameelaa, were you elected to any position by anyone ever in your lives.
If not, please stop barking and I suggest you two try getting elected to PTA member at the least in your local school.
You two are sounding more like Umar Back Born Naseer lately.
State Media called Mohamed Nasheed Broadcasting Corporation One is run from the Press Room in President's Office.
Ofcourse we all citizens of Maldives pay to run Anni's private media.
@Hilmy.
Because of your lack of political knowledge and failure to reflect on the sequence of the events that are unfolding and their relationships with each other, I doubt that you are from addu as you claim. Cause adduans claim to have a high percentage of people who are politically educated and active despite the fact that they can be manipulated by a promise of a mid-term election.
Your immaturity lies in the fact that you don't understand the authority and the inherent power vested in the legislature and you can't differentiate between a state owned company and an NGO. If you carefully explore the constitution you will find that if the state feels necessary it can even take someones private property but after a just compensation. So there is no doubt here for an unbiased mind regarding the legitimacy of the parliamentary act. When you applaud the president so much don't make him feel bad by accusing him of ratifying an unconstitutional act of parliament.
The issue here is the oppositions intention to control MBC through their majority in parliament. A compromise had to be made to balance the composition of the board of MBC.
Shame on people who buy the baits of politicians. If your allegiance lies for the provider of petty necessities who had compromised our right to exist as a nation then are you an Adduan and a patriot as you claim. Cause it is this materialistic nature of us that lead us to this situation where we live as slaves hoping for a philosophical theory to provide a just and equal society in the midst of the wicked intentions of man and capitalism. Learning from past might be a better option.
If you think you have the right to call on others to leave the nation then accept the fact that others have the right to ask you to check the origin of your clan. You might be blessed with the royal blood and unknowingly might be conspiring against the nation and its land that gave you the right to exist and swallowed your shit until today.
@ Hilmy, dhen buney thimanna vaanuvaa boegen heykendi gen sifain geyah ves nugendheye! Eves Media bias vefa ey!
@ bismuth, The ship heading to utopia sailed long time ago and with it your ideals of a singular,united,nation belonging to the people vanished as well. The harsh reality people cant seem to grasp their heads around is that Maldives is and will be controlled by an elite few in power.
Hmaeed,
Are you a Maldivian? You have said that the mnbc one and Rajje Radio are run by governemnt & peoples coffer???? Are you blind not to see what had happened during the budgeting sessions in Parliament this year? No money was provided to run these two channels while 100 Million ruffiyaa was given to private media??? Are you insane or trying to mislead the people????
Not a suprise , y would u want to let go of the free minutes you have .. After all this is a free country. We can decide on what we want. We can choose what we like . We can sell what we want and give anything to anybody we want . So rose what's your problem ?
I think the president should ratify the broadcast commission bill as soon as possible. He should also try his globally accepted leadership to short list eligible candidates for the commission. These candidates should have proven interest academically and practically in the broadcasting and communication sector.I feel the only way that the Maldives could achieve a plural and fair media is to allow a challenging field like broadcasting sector to be regulated by professionals. This will not only allow a free and fair media but will also keep pace with the globally emerging technologies in the field.
Which is more independent, a state owned tv or radio or a company owned tv or a radio. How can government paid tv or radio can be independent. whether its board members eleceed by parliament or executive power.Therefore Hassan Saeed please use common sense.
Waheedh I still dont know how you came out from Guraidhoo Moyainge jail. I advice you not to talk about politics unless you know what you are talking about.
I think MNBC is not a problem.
We have to investigate how MNBC got all it's assets.
If it started from just four walls and scratch then no one would have questioned its bonafideness.
They "play" with the public mind to show us that they are being fair to get the public committed fully to MNBC.
When that is achieved it's just a question of picking up the phone from the "COMMAND CENTER" and instructing the BOARD "here is the programme guide and news bulletin for for today" and bang the phone with a warning "hope there will be no deviation"
Too easy to fool the common people, right?!
Wrong!
@Addu,
Its a pitty that ROSE's avid Fans such as you are unable to digest the truth. Wer have seen how you guys have been struggling to get to the executive office and how you have failed everytime you had tried. The so called Most educated party in teh country has rarely got enough members to remain as a political party. Thats the support you have from teh people of Maldives for your JUST cause. Is it? Or are teh people behind MDP which as got the largest membership in any political party in teh Maldives at this point in time?????
Yes. I am from Addu and I am proud to be an Adduan who came from a family of educated individuals. However, I am not from those like you who have been educated with teh grace of Golhaaboah and who have been brought up with the generous contributions of Golhaaboah. Therefore I see teh truth whereas you only seem to see the Golhaaboa's side of the story.....
ROSE??? How much Didi Jaasin offer you and How much did you accept? You guys are always behind teh money and thats what you guys are fighting for. You want to bring the TV / Radio under your controll so that you may spread your propagenda. right? So why doesnt the current president and his ruling party have the right to use the media to spread its propagenda? Aren't they more eligible to do so????
No matter how sad you are, how worried you are, how emotionally shaken you are, note that ROSE will NEVER in his life, will ever get to teh seat that President Nasheed is in today!! ROSE has to ONLY DREAM with teh likes of Imad Solih & Jameel who has been also rejected by teh people of the ,Maldives.
Once again, I call ROSE to get away from our beloved Nation.....
Yes I am a Adduan.. so what?? but I am not like you who is half blind!!!!
As you had adviced me to think that others have the right to ask me to leave the Nation, I would also like to remind you that its not only you and ROSE alliance that has the right to express their concerns and opinion but other Maldivians have the same right too!!!!
Hilmy
Addu
Not again!
This guy is incorrigible!
Free advertisement this way can not going to help you become President!