Queen inducts Malawi President Mutharika into Commonwealth

Head of the Commonwealth Queen Elizabeth II and her heir Prince Charles on Friday in Malta officially inducted Malawi President Professor Peter Mutharika into the Commonwealth.

The induction is a result of elections for heads of government that have taken place in 21 Commonwealth countries – Malawi inclusive- since 2013 when the previous Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held in Sri Lanka.

Professor Mutharika attained the Presidency when he beat 11 contestants to win the elections held on May 20, 2014.

Apart from President Mutharika, other heads of state of ten Commonwealth members who were attending CHOGM for the first time included Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Alphonso Browne, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister of Fiji Josala Voreqe Banimarama.

Others are Guyana’s President David Granger, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, St Kitts Prime Minister Timothy Sylvester Harris, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Christopher Rowley.

Secretary General of the Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma hailed the peaceful atmosphere prevailing in the Commonwealth countries saying this has been signified in the 21 elections held since 2013 including that of Malawi.

Opening the conference, Her Royal Majesty charged the leaders with the responsibility of showing leadership through their distinctive contribution to the betterment of close to 450 million citizens in Commonwealth community.

The Queen said she was enormously proud of what the Commonwealth had achieved and “all of it within my lifetime”.

She said Commonwealth nations would continue to be called on to demonstrate leadership in global issues.

Commonwealth is an association of 53 independent nations, between them the countries represent nearly one-third of the world’s population.