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CMAG places Maldives on agenda, warns suspension from Commonwealth

Mohamed Visham
24 September 2016, MVT 00:37
The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting in New York on Friday.
Mohamed Visham
24 September 2016, MVT 00:37

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) on Friday placed Maldives on its formal agenda and warned the archipelago of suspension from the Commonwealth if it fails to make substantial progress to resolve the persistent political strife in the Maldives.

CMAG, a watchdog body comprising of eight foreign ministers, laid out a six-point reform agenda in February, which includes the release of political prisoners and judicial reform.

During the body's sit-down on Friday, the ministers expressed deep disappointment at the lack of progress in the priority areas.

"... in the absence of substantive progress across the priority areas, the Group would consider its options, including suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth, at its next meeting, in March 2017," a statement after the sit-down read.

The CMAG’s demands also include calls for steps to prevent use of anti-terror laws to stifle dissent, swift action on recommendations for judicial reform and freedom and space for civil society.

Incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has come under heavy international criticism over the jailing of political opponents, stifling of the media and free speech.

Maldives' international partners have continued to express grave concern over the continuing and persistent

deterioration of human rights, rule of law and democracy in the island nation.

In addition to the commonwealth, the United Nations had also initiated proxy talks after the main opposition parties refused to sit-down with government demanding the release of all jailed political leaders as a pre-condition for the talks.

Opposition parties have refused to engage in direct talks with the government before jailed political leaders are released.

Government had invited all political leaders in exile to return to the Maldives to join the all party talks assuring that there was no danger for opposition figures.

The opposition meanwhile has announced a united front to oust president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom from office and form an interim government until the next presidential elections in 2018.

The Maldives United Opposition (MUO) brings together the Maldivian Democratic Party, the Adhaalath Party, two of president Yameen’s former deputies and his former defence minister.

The MUO was established in London where key members of the opposition are in exile including Yameen’s first vice president Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and former president Mohamed Nasheed.

Nasheed’s jailing on a terror charge last year was a key trigger of the current political crisis. He was allowed to leave the country in an internationally brokered deal in January.

Jameel had meanwhile fled to the UK last July, days before he was impeached in a controversial vote. At the time, the Adhaalath Party leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla and former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim were already in jail.

Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in jail last year but was given asylum in Britain after traveling there for back surgery. Nazim is serving an 11-year jail term for possessing a firearm, and former vice president Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor was sentenced to 33 years in prison on corruption, two counts of terrorism charges, including an assassination attempt on the president.

MUO had announced that it would represent all political opponents in the talks.

However, the government has refused to recognize the opposition alliance.

CMAG, in the statement expressed regret that a substantive dialogue was yet to be initiated.

"The Group stressed that time-bound dialogue remains critical to achieve national agreement on institutional reform, and to ensure a conducive environment for credible and inclusive Presidential elections in 2018," the statement said.

 

 

 

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