Republics in the Commonwealth of Nations

The declaration was made by India to allow it to continue its membership of the Commonwealth despite its decision, implemented on 26 January 1950, to adopt a new Constitution and become a republic, abolishing the monarchy.

This set a precedent that all other countries were free to follow, as long as they each recognised the position of Head of the Commonwealth.

A compromise between the Indian government and those, such as Jan Smuts,[2] who wished not to allow republics membership, the Declaration read: The Government of India have ... declared and affirmed India's desire to continue her full membership of the Commonwealth of Nations and her acceptance of the King as the symbol of the free association of its independent member nations and as such the Head of the Commonwealth.

With time, many of these countries became republics, passing constitutional amendments or holding referendums to remove the monarch as their head of state, and replacing the governor-general with an elected or appointed president.

While the moves to both independence and republican status have broken the remaining constitutional links to the United Kingdom, a number of Commonwealth countries have retained a right of appeal directly to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council; for example, Mauritius, and (if the case involves constitutional rights) Kiribati.

Until 2007, Commonwealth members that changed their internal constitutional structure to that of a republic had to re-apply for membership.

[3] Widespread objection to the racial policies in South Africa resulted in that country deciding not to pursue a re-application for Commonwealth membership when it became a republic in 1961.

In others, such as Gambia, Ghana, and Malawi, the presidency was an executive post, usually first held by the last prime minister, with each respective country being a presidential republic.

[9][10] Also, the application for observer status was submitted by the unrecognized state of Somaliland, whose territory is officially considered as part of Somalia.