Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2008
Headquarters		Marlborough House, London, UK
Language		English
Membership		53 sovereign states
Leaders
-	Head of the Commonwealth	Queen Elizabeth II
-	Secretary-General	Kamalesh Sharma Appointed 24 November 2007 and will take office 1 April 2008
Establishment
-	Balfour Declaration	18 November 1926
-	Statute of Westminster	11 December 1931
-	London Declaration	28 April 1949
Area
-	Total	31,462,574 km²  12,147,768 sq mi
Population
-	2005 estimate	1,921,974,000
-	Density	61.09/km²  158.2/sq mi
Website thecommonwealth.org

The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as the Commonwealth and sometimes as the British Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, most of which are former British colonies (the exceptions being the United Kingdom itself and Mozambique).

The Commonwealth is an international organisation through which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds co-operate within a framework of common values and goals, outlined in the Singapore Declaration.FAQs. Commonwealth Secretariat. Retrieved on 2007-07-25. These include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism, and world peace.Singapore Declaration of Commonwealth Principles 1971. Commonwealth Secretariat (22 January 1971). Retrieved on 2007-07-25.

Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the Commonwealth, recognised by each state, and as such is the symbol of the free association of the organisation\'s members. This position, however, does not imply political power over Commonwealth member states. In practice, the Queen heads the Commonwealth in a symbolic capacity, and it is the Commonwealth Secretary-General who is the chief executive of the organisation. The Commonwealth is not a political union, and does not allow the United Kingdom to exercise any power over the affairs of the organisation\'s other members.

Elizabeth II is also the Head of State, separately, of sixteen members of the Commonwealth, called Commonwealth realms. As each realm is an independent kingdom, Elizabeth II, as monarch, holds a distinct title for each, though, by a Prime Ministers\' Conference in 1952, all include the words "Head of the Commonwealth" at the end; for example: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. Beyond the realms, the majority of the members of the Commonwealth have their own, separate Heads of State: thirty-two members are Commonwealth republics and five members have their own monarchs (Sultan of Brunei, King of Lesotho, Supreme Ruler of Malaysia, King of Swaziland, and King of Tonga).

Every four years the Commonwealth\'s members celebrate the Commonwealth Games, the world\'s second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.

History

Origins

Although performing a vastly different function, the Commonwealth is the successor of the British Empire. In 1884, whilst visiting Adelaide, South Australia, Lord Rosebery described the changing British Empire, as some of its colonies became more independent, as a "Commonwealth of Nations".

Conferences of British and colonial Prime Ministers had occurred periodically since 1887, leading to the creation of the Imperial Conferences in the late 1920s.History of the Commonwealth. The formal organisation of the Commonwealth developed from the Imperial Conferences, where the independence of the self-governing colonies and especially of dominions was recognised. The Irish Oath of Allegiance, agreed in 1921, included the Irish Free State\'s adherence to and membership of the group of nations forming the British Commonwealth of Nations. In the Balfour Declaration at the Imperial Conference in 1926, Britain and its dominions agreed they were equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations. This relationship was eventually formalised by the Statute of Westminster in 1931.

Remaining members gain independence

After World War II, the Empire was gradually dismantled, partly owing to the rise of independence movements in the then-subject territories and partly owing to the British Government\'s straitened circumstances resulting from the cost of the war. The word "British" was dropped in 1949 from the title of the Commonwealth to reflect the changing position.Commonwealth history timelines. Burma (a.k.a. Myanmar, 1948), and Aden (1967) are the only former colonies not to have joined the Commonwealth upon post-war independence. Among the former protectorates and mandates, Egypt (independent in 1922), Iraq (1932), Transjordan (1946), Palestine (became in part, the state of Israel in 1948), Sudan (1956), Kuwait (1961), Bahrain (1971), Oman (1971), Qatar (1971), and the United Arab Emirates (1971) never became members of the Commonwealth. The Republic of Ireland left the Commonwealth upon becoming a republic in 1949. However, the Ireland Act 1949 passed by the Parliament of Westminster gave citizens of the Republic of Ireland a status similar to that of other citizens of the Commonwealth in UK law.

Members not under the House of Windsor

The issue of countries with constitutional structures that did not operate based on the shared Crown, but who wished to remain members of the Commonwealth, was resolved in April 1949 at a Commonwealth prime ministers\' meeting in London. Under the London Declaration, India agreed that when it became a republic in January 1950 it would accept the King as "symbol of the free association of its independent member nations and as such Head of the Commonwealth". The other Commonwealth countries in turn recognised India\'s continuing membership of the association. (At Pakistan’s insistence, India was not regarded as an exceptional case and it was assumed that other states would be accorded the same treatment as India.) The London Declaration is often seen as marking the beginning of the modern Commonwealth, and following India\'s precedent, other nations moved to become republics, or constitutional monarchies under a different Royal House.

Old, New and White Commonwealth

As the Commonwealth grew, Britain and pre-1945 Dominions (a term formally dropped in the 1940s) became informally known as the "Old Commonwealth", particularly since the 1960s when some of them disagreed with poorer, African and Asian (or New Commonwealth) members about various issues at Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings. Accusations that the old, "White" Commonwealth had different interests from African Commonwealth nations in particular, and charges of racism and colonialism arose during heated debates about Rhodesia in the 1960s and 1970s, the imposition of sanctions against apartheid-era South Africa in the 1980s and, more recently, about whether to press for democratic reforms in Nigeria and then Zimbabwe.^{[citation needed]} The term New Commonwealth is also used in the United Kingdom (especially in the 1960s and 1970s) to refer to recently decolonised countries, which are predominantly non-white and underdeveloped. It was often used in debates about immigration from these countries.^{[citation needed]}

In recent years, the term "White Commonwealth" has been used in a derogatory sense to imply that the wealthier, white nations of the Commonwealth had different interests and goals from the non-white, and particularly the African members. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has used the term frequently to allege that the Commonwealth\'s attempts to force political changes in his country are motivated by racism and colonialist attitudes and that the White Commonwealth dominates the Commonwealth of Nations as a whole.^{[citation needed]}

Membership

Membership criteria

Main article: Commonwealth of Nations membership criteria

The criteria for membership of the Commonwealth of Nations have developed over time from a series of separate documents. The Statute of Westminster 1931, as the fundamental founding document of the organisation, laid out that membership required dominionhood. The 1949 London Declaration ended this, allowing republican and indigenous monarchic members on the condition that they recognised the British monarch as the \'Head of the Commonwealth\'.de Smith, S.A. (July 1949). "The London Declaration of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers, April 28, 1949". The Modern Law Review 12 (3): pp. 351-4. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.  In the wake of the wave of decolonisation in the 1960s, these constitutional principles were augmented by political, economic, and social principles. The first of these was set out in 1961, when it was decided that respect for racial equality would be a requisite of membership, leading directly to the withdrawal of South Africa\'s re-application (which they were required to make under the formula of the London Declaration upon becoming a republic). The fourteen points of the 1971 Singapore Declaration dedicated all members to the principles of world peace, liberty, human rights, equality, and free trade.

These criteria were unenforceable for two decades,Williams, Paul D. (July 2005). "Blair\'s Britain and the Commonwealth". The Round Table 94 (380): pp. 381–391.  until, in 1991, the Harare Declaration was issued, dedicating the leaders to applying the Singapore principles to the completion of decolonisation, the end of the Cold War, and the fall of Apartheid in South Africa.Harare Commonwealth Declaration. Commonwealth Secretariat (20 October 1991). Retrieved on 2007-07-29. The mechanisms by which these principles would be applied were created, and the manner clarified, by the 1995 Millbrook Commonwealth Action Programme, which created the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), which has the power to rule on whether members meet the requirements for membership under the Harare Declaration.Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group. Commonwealth Secretariat. Retrieved on 2007-07-29. Also in 1995, an Inter-Governmental Group was created to finalise and codify the full requirements for membership. Upon reporting in 1997, as adopted under the Edinburgh Declaration, the Inter-Governmental Group ruled that any future members would have to have a direct constitutional link with an existing member.te Velde-Ashworth, Victoria (10 October 2005). The future of the modern Commonwealth: Widening vs. deepening? (PDF). Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.

In addition to this new rule, the former rules were consolidated into a single document. These requirements, which remain the same today, are that members must:

• accept and comply with the Harare principles.
• be fully sovereign states.
• recognise the monarch of the Commonwealth realms as the Head of the Commonwealth.
• accept the English language as the means of Commonwealth communication.
• respect the wishes of the general population vis-à-vis Commonwealth membership.

These requirements are undergoing review, and a report on potential amendment is to be presented to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007.Commonwealth membership in focus at London meeting. Commonwealth Secretariat (6 December 2006). Retrieved on 2007-07-29. New members will not be admitted at the 2007 CHOGM, with 2009 set as the earliest date of entry.Rwanda’s bid to join Club to be considered at 2009 meet. The EastAfrican (20 November 2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-20.

Members

Countries whose membership is suspended are shown in Bold text.

Note: The table can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the "><" icon.

Country	Joined	Capital	Population	Land area (km²)
Antigua and Barbuda	1981	St. John\'s	&&&&&&&&&&081000.&&&&&081,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0442.&&&&&0442
Australia	1931	Canberra	&&&&&&&021134563.&&&&&021,134,563	&&&&&&&&07741220.&&&&&07,741,220
Bahamas	1973	Nassau	&&&&&&&&&0319000.&&&&&0319,000	&&&&&&&&&&013878.&&&&&013,878
Bangladesh	1972	Dhaka	&&&&&&0139215000.&&&&&0139,215,000	&&&&&&&&&0143998.&&&&&0143,998
Barbados	1966	Bridgetown	&&&&&&&&&0269000.&&&&&0269,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0430.&&&&&0430
Belize	1981	Belmopan	&&&&&&&&&0264000.&&&&&0264,000	&&&&&&&&&&022966.&&&&&022,966
Botswana	1966	Gaborone	&&&&&&&&01769000.&&&&&01,769,000	&&&&&&&&&0581730.&&&&&0581,730
Brunei	1984	Bandar Seri Begawan	&&&&&&&&&0366000.&&&&&0366,000	&&&&&&&&&&&05765.&&&&&05,765
Cameroon	1995	Yaounde (constitutional) Douala (economic)	&&&&&&&016038000.&&&&&016,038,000	&&&&&&&&&0475442.&&&&&0475,442
Canada	1931	Ottawa	&&&&&&&033039967.&&&&&033,039,967	&&&&&&&&09970610.&&&&&09,970,610
Cyprus	1961	Nicosia	&&&&&&&&&0826000.&&&&&0826,000	&&&&&&&&&&&09251.&&&&&09,251
Dominica	1978	Roseau	&&&&&&&&&&079000.&&&&&079,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0751.&&&&&0751
Fiji1	1970 1997	Suva	&&&&&&&&&0841000.&&&&&0841,000	&&&&&&&&&&018274.&&&&&018,274
Gambia	1965	Banjul	&&&&&&&&01478000.&&&&&01,478,000	&&&&&&&&&&011295.&&&&&011,295
Ghana	1957	Accra	&&&&&&&021664000.&&&&&021,664,000	&&&&&&&&&0238533.&&&&&0238,533
Grenada	1974	St. George\'s	&&&&&&&&&0102000.&&&&&0102,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0344.&&&&&0344
Guyana	1966	Georgetown	&&&&&&&&&0750000.&&&&&0750,000	&&&&&&&&&0214969.&&&&&0214,969
India	1949	New Delhi	&&&&&01087124000.&&&&&01,087,124,000	&&&&&&&&03166414.&&&&&03,166,414
Jamaica	1962	Kingston	&&&&&&&&02639000.&&&&&02,639,000	&&&&&&&&&&010991.&&&&&010,991
Kenya	1963	Nairobi	&&&&&&&033467000.&&&&&033,467,000	&&&&&&&&&0580367.&&&&&0580,367
Kiribati	1979	Tarawa	&&&&&&&&&&097000.&&&&&097,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0726.&&&&&0726
Lesotho	1966	Maseru	&&&&&&&&01798000.&&&&&01,798,000	&&&&&&&&&&030355.&&&&&030,355
Malawi	1964	Lilongwe	&&&&&&&012608000.&&&&&012,608,000	&&&&&&&&&0118484.&&&&&0118,484
Malaysia	1957	Kuala Lumpur	&&&&&&&027356000.&&&&&027,356,000	&&&&&&&&&0329847.&&&&&0329,847
Maldives	1982	Malé	&&&&&&&&&0321000.&&&&&0321,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0298.&&&&&0298
Malta	1964	Valletta	&&&&&&&&&0400000.&&&&&0400,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0316.&&&&&0316
Mauritius	1968	Port Louis	&&&&&&&&01233000.&&&&&01,233,000	&&&&&&&&&&&02040.&&&&&02,040
Mozambique	1995	Maputo	&&&&&&&019424000.&&&&&019,424,000	&&&&&&&&&0801590.&&&&&0801,590
Namibia	1990	Windhoek	&&&&&&&&02009000.&&&&&02,009,000	&&&&&&&&&0824292.&&&&&0824,292
Nauru²	1968	Yaren (unofficial)	&&&&&&&&&&013000.&&&&&013,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021
New Zealand	1931	Wellington	&&&&&&&&04109000.&&&&&04,109,000	&&&&&&&&&0270534.&&&&&0270,534
Nigeria³	1960 1999	Abuja	&&&&&&0128709000.&&&&&0128,709,000	&&&&&&&&&0923768.&&&&&0923,768
Pakistan4	1949 1989 2004	Islamabad	&&&&&&0161488000.&&&&&0161,488,000	&&&&&&&&&0880940.&&&&&0880,940
Papua New Guinea	1975	Port Moresby	&&&&&&&&05772000.&&&&&05,772,000	&&&&&&&&&0462840.&&&&&0462,840
Saint Kitts and Nevis	1983	Basseterre	&&&&&&&&&&042000.&&&&&042,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0261.&&&&&0261
Saint Lucia	1979	Castries	&&&&&&&&&0159000.&&&&&0159,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0539.&&&&&0539
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1979	Kingstown	&&&&&&&&&0118000.&&&&&0118,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0388.&&&&&0388
Samoa	1970	Apia	&&&&&&&&&0184000.&&&&&0184,000	&&&&&&&&&&&02831.&&&&&02,831
Seychelles	1976	Victoria	&&&&&&&&&&080000.&&&&&080,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0455.&&&&&0455
Sierra Leone	1961	Freetown	&&&&&&&&05336000.&&&&&05,336,000	&&&&&&&&&&071740.&&&&&071,740
Singapore	1965	Singapore	&&&&&&&&04680600.&&&&&04,680,600	&&&&&&&&&&&&0704.&&&&&0704
Solomon Islands	1978	Honiara	&&&&&&&&&0466000.&&&&&0466,000	&&&&&&&&&&028896.&&&&&028,896
South Africa5	1931 1994	Pretoria (executive) Bloemfontein (judicial) Cape Town (legislative)	&&&&&&&047208000.&&&&&047,208,000	&&&&&&&&01221037.&&&&&01,221,037
Sri Lanka	1948	Sri Jayawardhanapura Kotte	&&&&&&&020570000.&&&&&020,570,000	&&&&&&&&&&065610.&&&&&065,610
Swaziland	1968	Mbabane	&&&&&&&&01034000.&&&&&01,034,000	&&&&&&&&&&017364.&&&&&017,364
Tanzania	1961	Dodoma	&&&&&&&037627000.&&&&&037,627,000	&&&&&&&&&0945087.&&&&&0945,087
Tonga	1970	Nuku\'alofa	&&&&&&&&&0102000.&&&&&0102,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&0747.&&&&&0747
Trinidad and Tobago	1962	Port of Spain	&&&&&&&&01301000.&&&&&01,301,000	&&&&&&&&&&&05130.&&&&&05,130
Tuvalu	1978	Funafuti	&&&&&&&&&&010000.&&&&&010,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026
Uganda	1962	Kampala	&&&&&&&025827000.&&&&&025,827,000	&&&&&&&&&0241038.&&&&&0241,038
United Kingdom	1931	London	&&&&&&&060609155.&&&&&060,609,155	&&&&&&&&&0242900.&&&&&0242,900
Vanuatu	1980	Port Vila	&&&&&&&&&0207000.&&&&&0207,000	&&&&&&&&&&012189.&&&&&012,189
Zambia	1964	Lusaka	&&&&&&&011479000.&&&&&011,479,000	&&&&&&&&&0752618.&&&&&0752,618
Total			&&&&&01921974000.&&&&&01,921,974,000	&&&&&&&031462574.&&&&&031,462,574

Member information

The Commonwealth comprises fifty-three of the world\'s countries and has a combined population of 1.9 billion people, almost a third of the world population and over twice as many as the whole of the Americas (North and South) put together. Of that figure, 1.4 billion people live in the Indian subcontinent, and 93% live in Asia and Africa combined.

The total GDP is about US$7.8 trillion (about 16% of the total world economy).^{[citation needed]} The land area of the Commonwealth nations is about 31.5 million km² (12.1 million square miles), or about 21% of the total world land area.

The five largest Commonwealth nations by population are India (1.1 billion), Pakistan (165 million), Bangladesh (148 m), Nigeria (137 m), and the United Kingdom (60 m). Tuvalu is the smallest member, with only 11,000 people.

The three largest Commonwealth nations by area are Canada at 3.8 million square miles, Australia at 3.0 million square miles, and India at 1.2 million square miles.

The largest military spenders are the United Kingdom at GBP£33.4 billion (US$66.8 billion), India at GBP£10.6 billion (US$26.250 billion), and Australia and Canada at GBP£5.3 billion (US$10.5 billion) respectively.^{[citation needed]} The Commonwealth of Nations is not a military alliance. See: List of countries by military ex

enditures.

Nauru joined as a "Special Member", but was a full member from May 1999 to January 2006 when it reverted back. Special Member status

Flags of the members of the Commonwealth in Horse Guards Road, next to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London.

Membership is open to countries that accept the association\'s basic aims and have a present or past constitutional link to a Commonwealth member. Not all members have had direct constitutional ties to Britain: some South Pacific countries were formerly under Australian or New Zealand administration, while Namibia was governed by South Africa from 1920 until independence in 1990. Cameroon joined in 1995 although only a fraction of its territory had formerly been under British administration through the League of Nations mandate of 1920–46 and United Nations Trusteeship arrangement of 1946–61. There is only one member of the present Commonwealth that has never had any constitutional link to the British Empire or a Commonwealth member: Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, was admitted in 1995 on the back of the triumphal re-admission of South Africa and Mozambique\'s first democratic elections, held in 1994. The move was supported by Mozambique\'s neighbours, all of whom were members of the Commonwealth and who wished to offer assistance in overcoming the losses incurred from the country\'s opposition to white minority regimes in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa. In 1997, amid some discontent, Commonwealth Heads of Government agreed that Mozambique\'s admission should be seen as a special case and not set a precedent.^{[citation needed]} Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) joined in 1972 in its own right after breaking away from Pakistan (formerly West Pakistan), which was a member until it left later in the same year.

Non-members

Non-applicants

Egypt, Burma and Iraq have never shown an interest in joining the Commonwealth, although they are eligible to do so, having histories of British rule. Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Oman similarly are not members. Other countries with historical links to the United Kingdom or other Commonwealth countries that could theoretically be Commonwealth members, but have shown no indication of a wish to join, include Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The United States declared its independence from Britain in 1776, which is more than 100 years before Lord Rosebery coined the term Commonwealth of Nations. Consequently, it is not a member. In addition to the original Thirteen Colonies, Hawaii (which still retains the Union Jack in its flag), Alaska, Washington state, and Oregon were all under post-1776 exploration by various British captains such as James Cook, and his protégé George Vancouver. The British had settlements in what is now the United States up until the Oregon Treaty of 1846.

France secretly considered membership in the 1950s, under the leadership of Prime Minister Guy Mollet. In the context of nationalisation of the Suez Canal, colonial unrest, and increasing tensions between British-backed Jordan and French-backed Israel, Mollet saw a union between Britain and France as a possible solution. A British Government document of the time reported "That the French would welcome a common citizenship arrangement on the Irish basis". The request was turned down by the British prime minister Anthony Eden, along with a request for Commonwealth membership, and a year later France signed the Treaty of Rome with Germany and the other founding nations of the Common Market, later to become the EU. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1990795,00.html

Applicants

Rwanda (since 2003), Sudan, Algeria, Madagascar and Yemen have applied to join the Commonwealth, and there was some interest expressed by Israel (being formerly administered by the United Kingdom) and the Palestinian National Authority.http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/news1911200714.htm

Other eligible applicants could come from any of the remaining inhabited British overseas territories, Crown dependencies, Australian external territories and Associated States of New Zealand if any later become fully independent.Eligible Areas Many such jurisdictions are already directly represented within the Commonwealth, particularly through the Commonwealth Family.Baldacchino, Godfrey; Milne, David (September 2006). "Exploring sub-national island jurisdictions: An editorial introduction". The Round Table 95 (386): pp. 487–502. 

See also: Commonwealth of Nations membership criteria: Prospective members

Suspensions

In recent years the Commonwealth has suspended several members "from the Councils of the Commonwealth" for failure to uphold democratic government. Suspended members are not represented at meetings of Commonwealth leaders and ministers, although they remain members of the organisation.

Fiji, which was not a member of the Commonwealth between 1987 and 1997 as a result of a republican coup d\'état, was suspended in 2000–2001 after a military coup. Fiji was suspended once again following the military coup of December 2006.BBC News: Fiji suspended from Commonwealth (8th Dec 2006)

Nigeria was suspended between 1995 and 1999.

Zimbabwe was suspended in 2002 over concerns with the electoral and land reform policies of Robert Mugabe\'s Zanu-PF government, before withdrawing from the organisation in 2003. The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland came close to being admitted as a full commonwealth member, but prospects for this were suspended, indefinitely, following Southern Rhodesia\'s unilateral declaration of independence in 1965.

Pakistan was first suspended between 1999 and 2004. On 12 November 2007, in response to the 2007 Pakistani state of emergency, the Commonwealth gave Pakistan a 10-day deadline to restore its constitution and lift other emergency measures or face another suspension from the 53-nation grouping.http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/11/12/pakistan-elections.html?ref=rss On 22 November 2007, after the 10-day deadline had expired, Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth for violating its key principles, on the grounds of President Musharraf\'s refusal to give up his role as head of the army, restore an independent judiciary and lift the state of emergency in the country."Pakistan barred from Commonwealth", BBC News website, BBC, 22 November 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-23.  However, Pakistan termed the suspension \'unreasonable and unjustified\'. After general elections were held in Pakistan on 18 February 2008, Pakistan was invited to rejoin the Commonweatlh however the country\'s foreign ministry issued a statement saying that it was likely that they would not rejoin.

Withdrawal

As membership is purely voluntary, member governments can choose at any time to leave the Commonwealth. Pakistan left in 1972 in protest at the Commonwealth\'s recognition of breakaway Bangladesh, but rejoined in 1989. Zimbabwe left in 2003 when Commonwealth Heads of Government refused to lift the country\'s suspension on the grounds of human rights violations and deliberate misgovernment.

Other termination

Although Heads of Government have the power to suspend member states from active participation, the Commonwealth has no provision for the expulsion of members. However, Commonwealth realms that become republics automatically cease to be members, unless (like India in 1950) they obtain the permission of other members to remain in the organisation as a republic. The Republic of Ireland left the Commonwealth when it became a republic, on 18 April 1949, after passing the Republic of Ireland Act 1948; because it preceded India\'s London Declaration, remaining in the Commonwealth was not an option.^{[citation needed]} 

South Africa was prevented from continuing as a member after it became a republic in 1961, due to hostility from many members, particularly those in Africa and Asia as well as Canada, to its policy of