§ 9. Sir George GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the fairness of the referendum being planned in Malawi on whether to allow multi-party elections.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Mark Lennox-Boyd)If the referendum is to carry any credibility, it is essential that it should be conducted under conditions that are acceptable to the United Nations and to those groups in Malawi advocating democratic reform.
§ Sir George GardinerWe all welcome the deferral of Malawi's referendum in accordance with the recommendations of the United Nations technical team. However, does not my hon. Friend deplore the fact that the Malawi authorities have still not agreed to the United Nations recommendation that there should be one ballot box for all votes, not one ballot box for yes votes and one ballot box for no votes? Does he not deplore the fact that the Malawi authorities have ignored the United Nations recommendation that an independent referendum commission should be appointed? Worst of all, those authorities have ignored the United Nations recommendation that the laws that allow for detention without trial should be suspended during the conduct of the referendum campaign. Is that not a travesty of democracy?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe British Government are also pleased that the date of the referendum has been delayed. I agree with my hon. Friend about the many shortcomings that he has identified. Clearly, the referendum must be held in conditions of which the United Nations approve if the Malawi Government are to seek to have further aid from 973 aid donors in future. The United Nations must be satisfied of the conditions, as must all reasonable people such as my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. GrocottDoes the Minister agree that a pre-requisite of any free election and referendum should be freedom of speech, freedom to campaign, hold meetings, issue leaflets and freedom from fear? Certainly there should be no political detainees. What steps are the Government taking through the Commonwealth to ensure that those conditions begin to obtain in Malawi? Does the Minister agree that it stretches credulity to think that there could be a referendum in Malawi as early as next month and that the conditions could obtain by then?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe referendum will not be next month. President Banda has announced that it is to be in June, which is what we have just been discussing. The hon. Gentleman is clearly right—much progress much be made towards achieving conditions that the United Nations and ourselves believe are reasonable for a referendum and for human rights. There has been a little progress on that in Malawi, but we want to see much more. The hon. Gentleman is right to identify those matters and put pressure on the Malawi Government to come to their senses.