Government of Maldives and former President Nasheed reach agreement on the nominee to the country’s Commission of National Inquiry
Sir Donald McKinnon, Commonwealth Special Envoy to Maldives, said on 4 June 2012 that he was pleased that the Government of Maldives and former President Nasheed had reached agreement on the nominee of Mr Nasheed to the country’s Commission of National Inquiry, established to inquire into the facts and circumstances leading to the transfer of power on 7 Feb 2012.
"I am happy that we finally have a resolution on the issue of Mr Nasheed's nominee, and I commend both sides for their patience and perseverance in this regard," Sir Donald said.
Sir Donald has been engaged in recent weeks in intensive consultations to help strengthen the Commission of National Inquiry.
In keeping with the commitment signed by the Maldives Government on 15 May 2012, the Commission will be co-chaired by a Commonwealth-funded senior retired judge from Singapore. The Commonwealth and the United Nations will each provide an expert adviser for support.
Sir Donald said: "Now that we have agreement on the reconstituted Commission, I look forward to it starting its work and carrying out its important mandate. I hope also that with its enhanced terms of reference and revised composition, the Commission will be a more broadly acceptable mechanism and will allow the country to move forward."
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma also welcomed these latest developments, which he said represented an important step forward for Maldives. Mr Sharma expressed appreciation for the efforts of his Special Envoy and equally shared the hope that the Commission would be able to conduct an impartial and credible investigation.
