Quitting Commonwealth will be “a huge mistake,” says vice president
“We should never allow the heat of politics to cause long lasting damage to national interests,” vice president Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed said ahead of a parliament debate on quitting the Commonwealth today.
20 Jul 2015, 2:11 AM
Zaheena Rasheed
Appealing to lawmakers to support the Maldives’ continued membership in the Commonwealth, vice president Dr Mohamed Jameel has said that quitting the intergovernmental body will adversely affect the Maldivian youth, women and business community.
The People’s Majlis, at the request of president Abdulla Yameen, is set to debate the benefits of Maldives remaining in the Commonwealth today.
Some member states are lobbying the body’s democracy and human rights arm, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), to take punitive action against the Maldives over alleged repeated violations of the organization’s principles, including the jailing of former president Mohamed Nasheed.
Quitting the Commonwealth will be a huge mistake, Jameel said in a statement issued from London today. “We should never allow the heat of politics to cause long lasting damage to national interests.”
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