MDP: Decision making for ‘India Out’ bill on February 9

Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) Parliamentary group revealed a final decision will be made on February 9, about drafting the bill to counter ‘India Out’ campaigns by the opposition.  

The party had announced that they have commenced efforts to formulate a law that would allow criminal punishment against individuals that act and speak in a manner that’s disruptive to diplomatic relations.

Leader of MDP’s Parliamentary group MP Ali Azim told ‘Sun’ that a final decision has not been made and that discussions were underway. He added that they hoped to make that decision during the Parliamentary group's meeting on February 9.

Notably, MDP has the supermajority of the Parliament, with the party winning the latest by-election held on Saturday to fill the seat of the Komandoo constituency.

Meanwhile, the issue of the ‘India Out’ campaign was submitted to the Parliament’s Security Services Committee (241 Committee) by Parliament Speaker, former President Mohamed Nasheed. 

Speaking to ‘Sun' regarding this, the Communication Director of the Parliament Hassan Ziyau said that Nasheed submitted the issue on January 24, as the “campaign poses a national security threat and having received information of many Maldivians’ residing in India feeling threatened by that campaign.”

Following this, the Committee made the decision on February 7, to conduct research into the implication of the campaign.

‘India Out’ campaign which is spearheaded by former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has been expanded across the country, with supporters graffitiing walls of their houses with messages pertaining to the campaign. The opposition claims that Indian military personnel being stationed in the Maldives is a threat to the country’s national security. They also claim it to be a concern of many Maldivian citizens.  

After MDP announced the work to draft the bill, Yameen noted that passing a bill would not stop the campaign, adding that the activities under ‘India Out’ were in line with the right to freedom of expression, hence there was no way to stop it.

The government, MDP and other political parties which belong to the government coalition strongly condemn the campaign. In this regard, the government, on multiple instances, have stressed that such a campaign would disrupt the close ties maintained with a neighbouring country.