Africa (Hansard, 20 November 1991)

§ 17. Mr. Peter Bottomley
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made towards multi-party democracy in Africa.

§ Mrs. Chalker
We welcome the fact that most countries in Africa practise, or are moving towards, multi-party democracy. We shall encourage all of them to do so, and to start and maintain good government practices.

§ Mr. Bottomley
Given the British Government's determination to provide official aid to democratic countries—we are seeing the emergence. of a growing number of them—does my hon. Friend agree that it would be proper and popular over the next five years to halve the gap between our official aid and the United Nations target? Should not we include such a policy in our manifesto for the next general election?

§ Mrs. Chalker
I do not think that that is a question for me to answer from the Dispatch Box. I will say, however, that I expect all the countries that we assist to make further progress towards democracy and increased accountability: we consider that vital. Countries must also be willing to move towards multi-party democracy, and to ensure that there is a chance for dialogue to take place. When those goals are respected, we may have the opportunity to spend increasing amounts.

§ Mr. Corbett
Will the Minister confirm that Kenya and Malawi are the largest African recipients of British aid, and that both are one-party states which show no signs of progress towards multi-party democracy? In the light of that, will she review the aid programme?

§ Mrs. Chalker
The hon. Gentleman may not have noted the fact that we continue to encourage the Malawian Government to apply the principles of accountable government that they endorsed at the Harare Heads of Government meeting. Following their failure to do so, we have already cut balance of payments support for Malawi.
We have constantly stressed to the Kenyan Government the need to respect freedom of expression and the important outlets for legitimate dissent. We hope that those who have been arrested will be released immediately. We have told them that the suppression of opposing views is not the way forward, and have called for further progress towards democracy and greater public accountability.
I am encouraged by the fact that President Moi has expressed his willingness to move towards multi-party democracy, and by the recent indications that fresh general elections may be held early next year. We shall urge the continuation of all the recent moves to root out corruption in that and every other recipient of our aid.

§ Miss Emma Nicholson
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the carefully targeted aid that she has given to Zambia in recent years. It has led to the election of President Chiluba, leader of the country's multi-party democracy movement. Does my right hon. Friend believe that, as a result, multi-party democracy will be adopted in Kenya at an early opportunity?

§ Mrs. Chalker
I cannot really add to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett). However, I pay tribute to all Zambians for the peaceful conduct of the recent multi-party election.
The Zambians have chosen their President and their Government. President Chiluba has our best wishes to help him get on with the job; we shall do our best to assist him, because the election was a fine example of the principles that we endorsed at the recent Heads of Government meeting in Harare. We hope that there will soon be great progress in Zambia.