The Commonwealth is a forum for countries that respect democratic values. We are in transition: we have a draft constitution, which will be in place by 9 July 2011. At midnight on that day, we will raise our flag… We have great enthusiasm for securing the recognition of the Commonwealth and membership of this association. Our government is young; its institutions are weak and our economy is underdeveloped. As a new member of the Commonwealth, we would seek support in terms of technical assistance, training and scholarships.
The expectations of our people are so high – they expect us to turn things around overnight. For us to meet these expectations, we have decided to attract foreign direct investment into our country, from both public and private spheres… The priorities of our government lie in developing agriculture, our physical infrastructure, hydroelectricity and affordable housing. We are also working towards universal secondary education and adequate health-care services. Membership of the Commonwealth would assist us greatly in meeting all our goals and I hope that one day soon we will be welcomed into this family of nations.
An extract from Machar’s address to the International Meeting of the Royal Commonwealth Society, 16 May 2011.
