Maldives applies to rejoin C’wealth

Colombo: The Maldives has applied to rejoin the Commonwealth, reversing a policy of isolation under autocratic leader Abdulla Yameen who suffered a shock defeat in September.

Colombo, Dec. 9: The Maldives has applied to rejoin the Commonwealth, reversing a policy of isolation under autocratic leader Abdulla Yameen who suffered a shock defeat in September.

His successor, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, wrote to the 53- member bloc on Friday seeking readmission two years after Yameen pulled the atoll nation out of it, the president's office said Sunday.

Mr Yameen withdrew the Maldives, an archipelago of 340,000 Sunni Muslims, from the Commonwealth after it mounted pressure on him to protect human rights and ensure the rule of law amid a ferocious crackdown on dissent.

Mr Solih's office said the new president's administration believed in the values of the bloc, which consists mainly of former territories and colonies of the British empire.

"The Maldives' interest in re- joining the Commonwealth stems from a deep conviction that the values and principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter are more vital than ever," the president's office said in a statement.

The 54- year- old took office last month after winning a landslide election victory despite Yameen waging a crackdown on his political rivals and jailing most of the Opposition.