Access to Information 134. The Constitution of Maldives states that all information concerning government decisions and actions shall be made public, except information that is classified as State secrets by a law enacted by the People’s Majlis (Article 61(c)).However, access to information is a major challenge faced by journalists and the public which hinders freedom of expression. 135. State institutions and government offices fail to provide public with timely, accessible and accurate information. Information of public interest is often not displayed regularly, even on the websites of the state institutions. HRCM received information from media professionals that they have at times difficulty obtaining information from government offices; information requested sometimes take months to deliver or does not get delivered at all. The Bill on Right to Information pending in the Parliament, when enacted, can help the media in this aspect to some level. However, MJA informs that the Bill could also be used to restrict information. Furthermore, it does not obligate institutions and organizations other than those under the government to provide information. 137. Until recently, there were state controlled media in Maldives and journalists and people working in the field informed HRCM that the government usually provides information related to its decisions and whatever it wants to promote only to those media. Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VOM) were the only government controlled media in the country which had been controlled by Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC), a government corporation formed by former President. According to Civil Court, those media were supposed to be under the control of Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), the public broadcaster. However, former government defied the court order and refused to let MBC run the state media. MBC had been at loggerheads with MNBC for control over the public media assets since 2009. When the current government came into power in 2012, it has transferred all the assets of those media to MBC. 138. The State must prioritize enacting the legislation concerning right to Information. The State must develop a mechanism that ensures public bodies disseminate a wide range of key information in a manner that is easily accessible to the public, including local and foreign media without discrimination. Chapter: Article 19: Freedom of Expression 136. Also, HRCM received information from media persons that they have neither been consulted in drafting the Bill, nor have they been given any opportunity to comment on the Bill. However, Transparency Maldives, a civil society organization, is working with the Social Committee to revise the Bill. Likewise, in 2012, Transparency Maldives have launched a program named ‘Access to Information’, funded by UNDP Maldives, which aims at creating awareness and interest among the public about the right to information. 52