Nasheed, Shahid say Maldives will return to Commonwealth
Maldives withdrew from the Commonwealth after the body warned the Maldives government of possible suspension over the political turmoil in the country
A poster for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018
Former President Mohamed Nasheed and former speaker Abdulla Shahid has said that Maldives will return to the Commonwealth.
Maldives withdrew from the Commonwealth on 13 October 2016 after the body warned the Maldives government of possible suspension over the political turmoil in the country.
While the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is set to begin in London on Thursday, Nasheed on Tuesday said in a tweet that the Maldives will rejoin the Commonwealth and become an active, reliable and committed member.
He also opined that he doesn’t see why the Commonwealth needs a different head, as the British monarch has always independently represented it. This is likely in response to the Commonwealth deciding to choose the next head after Queen Elizabeth in the meeting.
Former speaker Abdulla Shahid said that it was a shame that Maldives is missing in the Commonwealth meeting and noted that Maldives left the body after the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) pressured President Abdulla Yameen over corruption and the deteriorating democracy and human rights situation.
He added that the Maldives will rejoin the Commonwealth “when democracy is restored”.
Gambia is also set to join the Commonwealth, after reversing its former president Jammeh decision to leave the union in 2016.
