Placing the Maldives on CMAG agenda is speculation, says Foreign Ministry

Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that questions about placing the Maldives on the formal agenda of the CMAG are nothing more than speculations and have no basis.

The Ministry released a statement yesterday saying that there have been numerous media speculations about attempts to place the Maldives on the CMAG agenda at the Group’s meeting held in New York on Friday and that the current political situation in the Maldives, and the government’s actions in dealing with the developments do not warrant for Maldives to be placed on CMAG’s formal agenda.

“It has to be recalled that the procedure for placing a country on the CMAG agenda is stipulated in the Enhanced Mandate adopted by the Commonwealth Heads in Perth in 2011. The current political situation in the Maldives is one in which the Government is upholding constitutional supremacy, and the rule of law,” Foreign Ministry’s statement read.

The Ministry also firmly stated that the Maldives remains a full member of the Group, and would continue to hold that position until the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled to be held in November 2013.

Foreign Ministry also revealed that the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mariyam Shakeela represented the Maldives at Friday's CMAG meeting and advocated on the need for reforming the Group in order to make the body a more effective and credible one that can help, not hamper, democracy consolidation in the Commonwealth member countries.

“The Minister also highlighted on the need for the CMAG to take matters in proper context, and not to over-react on delicate situations in member countries,” the Ministry said.