Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has urged President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to withdraw the Media Control Bill currently under consideration in Parliament, warning that it represents a direct threat to press freedom.

Addressing the 26th sitting of the fourth session of the MDP National Assembly, Solih said the Media Regulation Bill cannot be improved through amendments, as its core purpose is to place journalism under state control. He argued that the proposed law would grant the government excessive authority to take punitive action against individual journalists at any time, undermining their independence and silencing critical voices.

Solih noted that in a functioning democracy, journalists are not accountable to the government but rather act as watchdogs of state institutions. He also expressed concern that decentralization is being systematically dismantled, with powers increasingly concentrated in the hands of the central government. According to Solih, this trend, combined with efforts to restrict media freedom, signals a dangerous weakening of democratic governance.

His remarks come at a time when journalists and media workers across the country are voicing strong opposition to the bill.