Maldives threatens to pull out of Commonwealth

Male: The Maldives Wednesday threatened to pull out from the Commonwealth if the group’s disciplinary body continues to “bully” the Indian Ocean island nation, Xinhua reported.

Maldives government spokesman Masood Imad said that if the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the disciplinary arm comprising foreign ministers of Commonwealth countries, continues to bully his country, Male would “seriously think” of pulling out of it.

The Maldives is the smallest member of the Commonwealth.

Masood expressed his discontent over the postponement of the decision to remove his country from the agenda of the CMAG human rights and democracy arm.

“We have been tested our tolerance all these time. If the Commonwealth continues to bully us we would have to think seriously whether we should continue to be its member,” Masood told Xinhua.

He said the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) has established the present government’s legitimacy under President Mohamed Waheed and cleared it from all allegations of a coup in February.

The CNI report Aug 30 dismissed claims that a coup forced former president Mohamed Nasheed from the presidency in February and declared it was a legitimate transfer of power. The CNI comprising four nationals named by political parties and a judge nominated by the Commonwealth found the change of president was “legal and constitutional”.

IANS