Second Commonwealth team in Maldives as country continues efforts to rejoin group

A second assessment mission from the Commonwealth Secretariat arrived in the Maldives on Saturday, as the country continues its efforts to rejoin the organization.

This team arrived in the afternoon, with the foreign ministry noting that their visit “follows important milestones achieved by the Maldives in its efforts to rejoin the Commonwealth.”

Katalaina Saplou, the Senior Governance and Peace Directorate of the Secretariat, is leading the delegation, whom are to meet government officials and other senior officials; including Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed, as well as members of independent institutions, judiciary and other important interlocutors.

While the previous administration decided to leave the Commonwealth in October 2016, amid mounting pressure from the group over corruption and deteriorating human rights, rejoining the organization is one of incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s key election pledges.

Former President Abdulla Yameen’s government decided to leave after a warning by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, to suspend the Maldives “if the political crisis triggered by the jailing of opposition leaders is not resolved.” Yameen’s government had accused the Commonwealth of interfering in domestic affairs and “unfair and unjust” treatment.

Solih’s administration passed to rejoin the organization, shortly after assuming office in November 2018 and a request for readmission was sent in early December.

The first assessment mission was in the Maldives in January this year, and was headed by Albert Mariner, Advisor and Head of Asia/Europe/Caribbean/Pacific in the Commonwealth Secretariat.

And then in April, a Commonwealth Observer Group was in the archipelago nation to observe the parliamentary elections.

Speaking to the press the day after the elections, Chair of the Observer Group and former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding said that they were “impressed” by the election day process.

While this team’s report will also be considered during the ongoing assessment of the country’s commitment to Commonwealth’s values, Golding emphasized that they did not take their task of observing the parliamentary elections “lightly” because of this.

And in June, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid traveled to the United Kingdom to formally present “all documentation required under the membership criteria” directly to Secretary General Patricia Scotland.

The SG had said that they “are hopeful that the process [for Maldives to rejoin Commonwealth] will proceed as smoothly and speedily as possible.”

While there are certain steps to be taken before Maldives can rejoin the Commonwealth, presenting the formal application to the Secretary General is the final one; which the country completed in June.

According to Commonwealth procedures, the decision will be made at its Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and the earliest one is scheduled for July 2020 in Kigali, Rwanda.

Maldives has requested to expedite the re-joining process, foregoing the CHOGM summit if possible.

Tariq Mahmood Ahmad, Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at the British Foreign Office, had also recently expressed hope for Maldives to re-join the Commonwealth “before the Kigali Summit.”

Maldives first became a member of the Commonwealth on 9th July 1982.