Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has requested Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, to accelerate the process of Maldives rejoining the association.
He made the request during their meeting on Sunday during his trip to London.
During their meeting, Minister Shahid said that the Secretary-General also offered to send election observers to Maldives’ parliamentary election in April.
Thank you Baroness @PScotlandCSG, Commonwealth SG for meeting on a rainy Sunday afternoon to discuss accelerating Maldives membership back into CW and for suggesting to send election observers to the upcoming Parliamentary Elections of Maldives as an initial point of engagement. pic.twitter.com/FecuVU59L7
— Abdulla Shahid (@abdulla_shahid) January 27, 2019
The Commonwealth stated that it has pledged to work with Maldives by first sending an assessment mission next week.
Commonwealth Secretary-General @PScotlandCSG met with Foreign Minister @abdulla_shahid to discuss the #Maldives’s wish to return to #Commonwealth. We pledge to work together starting with an assessment mission next week pic.twitter.com/eJ7MR75vn4
— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) January 27, 2019
The Maldives became a member of the Commonwealth in 1982 but left in October 2016 after then-President Abdulla Yameen refused to abide by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group after it found that the administration was guilty of violating the rights of his political rivals, and threatened to suspend the Maldives if the situation is not resolved.
