The Elections Commission (EC) has announced that elections to appoint four members of the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission will be held on 11 October in Malé City.

The seven-member commission, created under the Media and Broadcasting Regulation Act, is tasked with overseeing media and broadcasting standards in the country. Of its members, three will be appointed by Parliament while four will be elected directly by media organisations, with two seats reserved for broadcasters and two for other media outlets.

According to the EC, voting will take place between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with ballot centres established in Malé City. Each registered broadcaster and media outlet will be entitled to one vote and must officially designate a representative through the EC to take part.

Applications to contest are now open, with a ten-day submission window ending on 4 October. The commission is required to review candidacies within 48 hours of submission, either confirming eligibility or stating grounds for rejection.

The MMBC replaces the former Maldives Media Council (MMC) and Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC), both of which were dissolved. Under the new framework, the commission will establish a formal system for handling complaints against broadcasters, outlets, and journalists, and will hold powers to investigate and take action against breaches of regulations and codes of conduct.