Government and business leaders have no requirement to be a particular political party member.

FORBES: Magazine Article

If Reid and the Democrats follow through on that promise, Lieberman would be a member of the party for all intents and purposes.

NPR: Sen. Lieberman's Future Democratic Relations

But it said that a new state would not be a party to the North Atlantic Treaty, and therefore not a member of the alliance, while the position of the "successor state" would be unaffected.

BBC: Scotland politics