Yemen’s application to join Commonwealth rejected [Archives:2003/693/Front Page]

Yemen has been officially rejected from membership of the Commonwealth on Friday.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that took place in Abuja rejected the application of Yemen along with Palestine and Rwanda.
Yemen has been eager to join the 45-nation group based on the fact that former south Yemen was one day under British colonial rule.
Speaking with news reporters on Friday at the closing press conference given by President Olusegun Obasanjo Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr. Donald McKin-non, explained that the Common-wealth looked at the application for membership from Yemen and didn't consider that it met the criteria.
“It considered Rwanda along with both Palestine and the Yemen. All three showed an expectancy to join, and all three were informed that they didn't meet the Commonwealth criteria,” said McKinnon.
According to This Day News media corporation, the Commonwealth as a rule insists that applicant countries have had a constitutional or administrative association with a Commonwealth member country, comply with Commonwealth values, principles and priorities as set out in the Harare Declaration and accept Commonwealth norms and conventions.
McKinnon did not, however, say in specific terms how the applicant countries failed to meet the set criteria, nor if they could be considered in future, but there had been precedence in the past where a new member had been admitted, after meeting the set conditions. Recently Cameroon applied for membership and got admitted, after persistent efforts.
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