The Commonwealth has said it will be working with the Maldivian government to push ahead with strengthening and reforming “key public institutions” as it reiterates calls for “inclusive and credible” presidential elections to be held next year.
In a statement issued Friday (December 7), Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma said the intergovernmental organisation would continue to work with international partners and Maldivian authorities on a programme of reform and “practical collaboration”.
Over the last twelve months, the Commonwealth has played a key role in terms of the international community’s stance towards the Maldives, particularly following the controversial transfer of power in February in which the present government came to office.
Following allegations by the now opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) that President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan came to power in a “coup d’etat”, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) applied pressure for a reformed Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) to investigate the details behind the change of government.
The CNI’s findings, welcomed by the Commonwealth, US and the UN, rejected accusations that the present government came to power illegally, despite claims from former president Mohamed Nasheed that the report’s conclusions were flawed and failed to include key witness statements and evidence.
The opposition MDP has previously said it holds severe structural concerns about the CNI’s conclusions, but accepted the report had provided a “way forward” to push for institutional reform in areas such as defence and the judiciary.
Teleconference
Following a teleconference held Thursday (December 6) with Maldives Foreign Minister Dr Abdul Samad Abdullah, Commonwealth Secretary General Sharma issued a statement welcoming government assurances that the CNI’s recommendations would be “advanced meaningfully”.
“It continues to be important that there is even-handed implementation of all the recommendations in the Report of the Commission of National Inquiry, including investigations into allegations of police brutality and acts of intimidation,” stated Sharma.
The secretary general also used the statement to emphasize hopes that presidential elections – anticipated to be held during 2013 – would be conducted on a “a level-playing field for all political parties and actors”.
The Commonwealth said it appreciated commitments made by Foreign Minister Dr Samad to this end.
President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad was not responding to calls from Minivan News at the time of press over detailing the types of reform the government was said to have committed to following Thursday’s teleconference.
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it is not a con traversal power transfer for majority of Maldivian and it was clear that Anni resigned then VP took the oath .
In order to prove the legality of the government for those who were shocked and lost their lavish life style with the sudden resignation of their leader, the current government agreed to have the independent body to investigate the event. Even agreed to appoint the people to the commission to the likes of Anni.
Good luck deleting all the controversial footage, mody.
Commonwealth, US, UN or anyone, for purpose of democracy, diplomacy, peace, or whatever it is, does and may accept the unacceptable!
I am sure that it is for this purpose, all parties who know that the case of power transfer in the Maldives on 7th February was accepted as uncontroversial!
However, and in fact, there never was a willful resignation by President Nasheed. He was pushed to the limits where he had no options or alternatives!
Some people here in the Maldives however, does not want to believe that there was no controversial transfer of power on the 7th of February!
This is only because they like to see controversial as "con traversal", or just because they do not want to believe it as controversial!
But, the fact is, that there was a “coup d’etat”, and that power and the rights of people were just snatched just like the management of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport is being snatched by the very ex army colonel Nazim who also very appropriately happened to be the person who volunteered to talk to President Nasheed on that day!
These cases does seem to be highly debatable and rather controversial, no matter what!