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Written question asked by David Ward (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 17 March 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 March 2015 (named day). It was answered by Lord Swire (Conservative) on Monday, 23 March 2015 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Burma

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of whether elections due in Burma will be credible, free and fair.

Answer

The 2015 parliamentary elections will be a watershed for Burma’s transition to democracy. They have the prospect to be the first legitimate elections since 1960. We have made clear to the Burmese government that we want to see inclusive and credible elections, underpinned by freedom of expression and a respect for human rights. The UK is taking steps to support the integrity of the electoral process. The Department for International Development has allocated around £25m over five years to strengthen democratic governance, including support to the elections. UK funding will support the provision of technical advice to the Burmese election commission, voter education and monitoring and observation of the electoral process.

Dialogue between the key political actors will be critical to ensuring a successful outcome to the election. We encourage all of the main parties to maintain regular discussions in advance of the vote, to ensure a smooth process and a smooth succession to whatever government emerges in the next Parliament.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
227855
Session
2014-15
Subjects
Elections Myanmar
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk