Colombo, Nov 17 (IANS) The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) – the disciplinary panel – Sunday removed the suspension of the Maldives after Abdulla Yameen was elected the new president of the Indian Ocen archipelago nation.
Yameen of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Saturday won the presidential run-off defeating Mohamed Nasheed.
The CMAG Wednesday placed the Maldives on its formal agenda – implying its suspension from the panel – after the country failed to elect a new president before the constitutional deadline of Nov 11.
India moved a proposal to remove the Maldives from the CMAG formal agenda, which was accepted.
India’s External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said at the ministerial meeting that the “conclusion of the electoral process” in the Indian Ocean atoll nation “is a matter of satisfaction to the international community”.
Addressing the CMAG, Khurshid said India has been “closely engaged with the government and all parties in the Maldives in facilitating a resolution of the political instability in that country since February 2012”.
Khurshid said India has welcomed the “successful conclusion of the presidential elections in a peaceful manner” with the election of Yameen as president.
“We have also worked closely with other international partners, including the UN, in facilitating the democratic process in the Maldives,” he added.
India said that it looks forward to cooperating with the new president and his government.