President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan today said the handing of the state broadcaster to the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) was the “best decision I’ve made”.
Video footage on February 7 shows rogue police and military officers storming the state broadcaster’s compound prior to President Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation, using a firearm or some kind of explosive to break down the gates.
Nasheed subsequently claimed he was forced to resign “under duress” in a coup d’état orchestrated by remnants of the former dictatorship, and carried out by mutinous elements of the police and military.
Speaking at an event to mark World Press Freedom Day, Dr Waheed claimed the handing of the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) to the parliament-created Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) had ended executive control of the media.
Nasheed had refused to hand control of state broadcasting to MBC claiming the then-opposition controlled-Majlis had appointed their supporters to the MBC board in “a media coup.”
Dr Waheed also announced today that the government would resume commercial advertising in privately-owned newspapers, marking a return to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s policy of effectively subsidising private newspapers through government advertisements.
Advertising an “incentive” for newspapers
Ousted President Mohamed Nasheed ended the policy in 2008 and shifted government announcements to a free weekly in-house gazette, claiming the move saved Rf 32 million (US$2,077,922) annually.
The Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) had campaigned against Nasheed’s decision, claiming the move had bankrupted news outlets and led to the closure of several newspapers.
Speaking to the press at a function held to mark International Press Freedom Day, Waheed said, “I want to open up government advertisements instead of publishing them solely in the government gazette even today. I think that will help the newspapers”.
MJA President ‘Hiriga’ Ahmed Zahir also spoke at the function held at the President’s Office, and said government advertising had provided “an incentive” for newspapers.
“I am not calling for the gazette to be annulled. But I don’t believe announcements for jobs and tenders should come through this gazette,” he said.
Handover to MBC
Under Nasheed’s administration, the MBC and the MNBC were engaged in a long-running tug-of-war for the control of state broadcasting assets.
Video footage on February 7 shows rogue police and military firing an explosive device to open MNBC gates. MNBC staff told Minivan News the security forces cut off MNBC coverage and ordered the station to air private Villa TV station’s live feed.
Former MNBC Managing Director Ahmed Shareef told Minivan News that President Waheed’s younger brother Ali Waheed had ordered the handover of MNBC to him on the orders of then VP Waheed. After Shareef refused, Ali Waheed led the military takeover of the MNBC.
Shortly after President Waheed took office, he signed over state media to the MBC. He told reporters today that the “best decision I’ve made was handing over TV and Radio to MBC.”
“The executive does not own any TV or radio stations any longer. I think this is the first time in Maldivian history that the executive does not control radio, TV or newspapers. I met with the MBC board within my first week in office. Even among all the stress and turmoil, I ensured the handover of state radio and TV to MBC as stipulated by law,” Waheed said.
Waheed said the handover of state assets to MBC ensured independence for the media as the government no longer controlled the media. “Today, the executive does not want to try and make the government’s view to be the truth,” he said.
“I believe freedom of expression exists in the Maldives to its widest extent today,” Waheed added.
However, Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has accused the MBC of “blatant propaganda”, alleging the station produced biased content and did not give adequate exposure to all political parties.
Meanwhile, MBC has announced a temporary halt to all political programming until the TV and radio stations better understood their public service role and could provide “intellectually debatable programs”.
Former President Nasheed held a parallel press freedom lunch for journalists and MPs at Traders Hotel.
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Disgusting how dictators regime took over - at gunpoint - the national TV - unfortunately for them, too late to block the live broadcast of the coup d'etat. In meantime the media under control of #mvcoup are deleting the footage of 7 and 7 FEB on youtube and then publishing again with tampered videos.
More unfortunately for them - we, the real people of Maldives, #mvprotest - we have ALL footage, several copies on different and safe places :-), showing the reality and truth of what happened.
Now the illegal govt again spending our tax money to pay off their friends around and buy their 'loyalty' by paid 'advertisements'. Surely another move of RuderFinn to sell the dictatorial police state abroad.
Is that why Baaghee Waheed's brother Ali Waheed charged into the state broadcaster with an armed unit even before President Nasheed resigned?
Is this called freeing the media?
Free media, my A***!
One of the big mistakes Nasheed made was to control and use MNBC illegally to spread his propaganda
“The executive does not own any TV or radio stations any longer. I think this is the first time in Maldivian history that the executive does not control radio, TV or newspapers."
Can't disagree, in fact Dr. Waheed is selling himself short. Apart from being the first instance that the Executive has divested itself of control of the media, this is the also the first instance that the Executive is not in control of the government.
Waheed, when you control the media I this way and hand over a monopoly to own of the crony coup backers, it is the hallmarks of a dictatorship. Would this happening your beloved USA? In a free society, air time for media should be 50% for each of the leading parties. This is now no longer the case. The opposition have been gagged and suffocated by the returning dictatorship.
Traitor and coup leader, you disgust the democracy believing public.
The second best decision he's made actually... The best was accepting the offer to be Nasheed's running mate at his wife's insistence--and that in spite of his better judgement. It is because of that earlier decision he is now the President of Maldives through no merit or making of his own. Or, I am reading too much into this, and he is only saying this was the best decision after taking over as President? The third month on the job is too early to begin a self-appraisal.
Surely the best decision you made from your perspective was to agree with the coup gang to over throw Nasheed illegally. TRAITOR, and now you are making sure the country can not get access to the full story by blocking natinally all media that reports the MDP opinion.
The dictatorship is back!!
'Video footage on February 7 shows rogue police and military officers storming the state broadcaster’s compound prior to President Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation, using a firearm or some kind of explosive to break down the gates.
Nasheed subsequently claimed he was forced to resign “under duress” in a coup d’état orchestrated by remnants of the former dictatorship, and carried out by mutinous elements of the police and military'
How is this the second and third paragraph in this piece respectively? Interesting how things can be framed for your propaganda needs. Thanks Minivan
@AM both things are true n quite relevant to the piece. Storming a TV station n taking it over by force is Waheed's idea of handing over things.
who is this ...is that zahir who is saying trying for press freedom ...hes the one who is damaging the pressfreedom in maldives...
Surely the best decision would have been to meet the Ihthihaad leaders in the middle of one night and accept their offer?
The whole country is handed over to "Maumoon's Wealth Organisation" Isn't it the best decision of Dr.Quack
anthu, what ever mistake that nasheed may make is out of question. can the police focrce attack the Government broadcaster and use lethal force and bombard govenment property? the MNBC case was in the courts and why on earth police have to go and attack that place? are there terrorists in that building? police have their rules of engagement and they surely have violated their rules of engagement and their code of ethics. using arms against civilians civilian building are against the Humanitarian law even. you think when the bagee regime does it you are justified by uttering about nasheed's mistake?
Waheed destroyed media independence in this country.
Dr. Waheed need to be realistic when he says his best decision was handing over of state broadcaster to MBC.
We all know that his best decision was deciding not to resign when President Nasheed resigned from office. If Waheed had diligently and honourably followed the person who gave him the free ride on his ticket to presidency-something Waheed had failed in his own steam-he would not have had the opportunity to warm the president's chair and enjoy the perks. lol
kaza : dr waheed cannot do anything, he is a puppet of the old guard. it is a planned coup by the coup leaders under the direction of maumoon. maumoon and his cronies did not want to appear in the big picture they catch hold of waheed. waheed gets the name of being once the president of Maldives whether legal or illegal. this situation in the country now is anarchic. the very rogue forces are still in the armed forces to stage lawless and brutish acts to suppress the illegitimate regime to cling on to power.