Maldives placed on CMAG's formal agenda

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) has decided to place Maldives once again on its formal agenda.

The announcement was made through a statement released following the group’s discussion of the Maldives’ situation at a meeting in Colombo today.

“In view of these recent developments, CMAG decided to place Maldives once again on its formal agenda, pending the holding of a credible election on 16 November and the inauguration of a new president,” the statement read.

It also states that the Chair of CMAG will brief Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOG) when they meet in Colombo on Friday, 15 November.

CMAG revealed that during their meeting today, Ministers expressed deep disappointment that the presidential election process could not be completed prior to the expiration of the presidential term on 11 November 2013.

The group also noted that the failure to inaugurate a president by 11 November followed repeated delays to the electoral process, as a result of annulment of the first-round election by the Supreme Court and the failure to proceed with three further elections.

Maldives was previously placed CMAG’s formal agenda following the controversial change of government in February 2012, and was removed in September following the publication of the Commission of National Inquiry report, put together with the Commonwealth support.