Former President Mohamed Nasheed has leveled severe criticism against the Commonwealth over their inaction on the Maldives.
Speaking to the Hindhu last week, Nasheed expressed his disappointment at the weak resolve of the Commonwealth Secretariat in supporting the cause of the Maldives. He felt that it has “failed to impress upon the government of Maldives the need for reform”. He added that “they refuse to say if the Maldives issue is in the formal agenda, even while the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group says it is”.
His statements came amid the failure of the opposition to include Maldives in the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) agenda.
When Nasheed was sentenced on terror charges the opposition had tried to include the issue in CMAG agenda; which was unsuccessful. After the botched assassination attempt on the President, state of emergency and the subsequent arrest of former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, another attempt was made to include Maldives in CMAG agenda. This attempt was also unsuccessful.
Maldives was included in the CMAG agenda following the Presidential vacuum after the 2013 elections and when Nasheed resigned in 2012. However, Maldives was removed from the agenda after the CoNI report on the 2012 abdication was published.
Current SG close to the Government
Commonwealth's new Secretary General is Patricia Janet Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal. She had given legal counsel to former President Dr. Mohamed Waheed when the pressures on the country from CMAG was at peak.
Scotland is also part of the advisory council at Omnia Strategy, the legal firm advising the Government after Nasheed was sentenced for 13 years. A senior team from the Government had met Scotland following her appointment to the position.
