§ Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—[Jim Fitzpatrick.]
§ 10 pm
§ Mr. Win Griffiths (Bridgend)I appreciate the opportunity to initiate the debate, but before I speak about the elections in Sierra Leone I must mention the recent allegations that aid workers sexually abused children in refugee camps in that country. I hope that the Government are taking that issue up with aid agencies and the Government of Sierra Leone.
The subject for the debate is especially relevant as campaigning is well under way and the election will be held in three weeks, on 14 May. It is critical for the peace process in Sierra Leone that the elections are successful. It is also important for Africa, where democracy is still such a frail plant, that they are peaceful and that the outcome is accepted—whether President Kabbah and the Sierra Leone People"s party are returned to power or a new President and a new Government are in Parliament.
Without going into all the details, it will be salutary for the House to remember that until January a civil war had been going on in Sierra Leone for 11 years. During that period, several attempts were made to re-establish peace and the democratic process, but unfortunately—to put it mildly—they all failed. We must hope that Sierra Leone is on the verge of a miraculous recovery after those years of untrammelled violence, during which unspeakable atrocities were committed. Indeed, we can only marvel at the recovery that has been made, and should regard with wonder the way in which—during the past few months especially—the political leadership across the party spectrum and the people at large have tried, with much success, to put the violence and bloodshed of the past decade behind them and have focused on reviving democracy, breathing new life into the meaning of peace.
That is a huge change for the better, but it did not happen on its own. The involvement of the United Nations through the United Nations mission in Sierra Leone—UNAMSIL—has been critical in brokering and maintaining peace; while the British armed interventions at vital points, especially between May and September 2000, were generally regarded in Sierra Leone as essential for the success of UNAMSIL. Indeed, many people would say that the activities of British troops in Sierra Leone between May and September 2000 saved the Lome peace agreement of July 1999 from being merely fine words and enabled the political leadership and the people of Sierra Leone to focus positively on restoring democracy. So far, they have responded magnificently.
British and UNAMSIL military efforts have been crucial, and well publicised, in bringing about the current situation in Sierra Leone, where the politicians and the people are vigorously participating in the presidential and parliamentary elections. What is not so readily recognised, nor so well publicised, is the work of independent organisations, such as the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the National Democratic Institute, the International Foundation for Election Systems, the British Council, the Institute for Peace and Development and the National Commission for Democracy and Human Rights in Sierra Leone, and official bodies such as the British high commission, the Department for International 122 Development and the UN Development Programme. Between them, a huge effort has been made and is still being made—even during the campaign—to strengthen democracy, the democratic process and the political parties in Sierra Leone.
The WFD has been in the vanguard of that work. Liz Marsh, its programme director for Africa, has family links with Sierra Leone and has been tireless in promoting work with the political parties in order to restore multi-party democracy. In Sierra Leone itself, the WFD programme manager, Catherine Worthing, continues to work flat out to ensure that training is provided for polling agents in at least nine centres in all the provinces, including Freetown. Tony Expedzor, from the Ghanaian national electoral commission, is providing hands-on training and doing a great job. In addition to that training, five weeks ago—after much preparation and work with the leadership of most of the 23 registered parties, the British high commission, the national electoral commission, non- governmental organisations involved in the electoral process, the Speaker and Clerk of Parliament, and resident multilateral and bilateral development assistance agencies involved in good governance—a round-table conference was held in Freetown to focus on strengthening the democratic process in the run-up to the elections of 14 May and beyond.
Dr. Mike Warner, a research fellow at the Overseas Development Institute and director of Stakeholder Negotiation Services International, led on the organisation and provision of strategic guidance for the round table. He was ably assisted by Kwabena Mensah, a democratisation consultant from Ghana. I participated with Kwabena in a presentation on the practicalities of parties—government and opposition—working in a democracy. During that day, I also acted as a facilitator to the group that considered the priorities and purpose of national democracies. I spoke briefly at the final session, at which the participants-19 representatives from 12 of the 23 registered parties, including all those with parliamentary representatives—drew up a memorandum of understanding. Among many other points, the participants agreed
that our vision as political parties is a democratic system where there will be mutual respect and trust, leading to electoral processes the outcome of which will be accepted.We must all hope, for the sake of the people of Sierra Leone, that the agreement will hold once the outcome is known, on 14 May, of the democratic processes taking place in Sierra Leone. During my five-day visit, I had meetings with the high commissioner and staff of the British high commission, officials from the Department for International Development, and Walter Nicol, chairman of the National Electoral Commission, and his four regional directors. I also spoke to 56 trainee polling agents; members of the public; Joe Hall, director of the National Democracy Institute; Honorie Muyoyeta, lead trainer of the NDI election support programme; and two aspiring women candidates, Salamatu V. Conteh, a teacher who hopes to represent the United National People"s party in Parliament, and Amelia Gebanawe, who hopes to be elected as a paramount chief.Finally, as an MP "addict" I held a surgery, to which I invited round-table participants who wanted to express their feelings about what was happening. Five senior figures from the parties involved came to see me, including Dr. John Karefa-Smart, the then leader of the UNPP, who is now its presidential candidate, a[...] 123 John Benjamin, interim chairman of the National Unity party. He is not participating in the elections—that has nothing to do with anything that I said to him—because he failed to become the presidential candidate for the Grand Alliance party and has refused the vice-presidential candidacy. The other senior figures were Pallo Bangura, secretary general of the Revolutionary United Front party—the political wing of the rebel RUF—and its presidential candidate; Cornelius Deveaux, leader of the Young People"s party; and Osman Yansaneh, assistant secretary general of the All People"s Congress.
One point that emerged from those meetings was the general concern that the NEC was favouring the Government, and in particular that election day could prove chaotic. Many registered voters in urban areas were not sure at which polling station they would be voting, as the station in question would not necessarily be the one at which they registered their right to vote. No polling cards were sent to voters in Sierra Leone. To reduce the queues on polling day, about 500 voters have been allocated to each polling station—a good idea, but many people do not know exactly where they are supposed to vote. As a result, there may be great dissatisfaction and dissent, and the possibility of serious unrest is obvious.
The following day, I spoke to Walter Nicol, the chairman of the NEC, and raised that issue with him. I suggested that, at the beginning of the campaign, the NEC post outside each polling station a list of the voters eligible to vote there, and he promised to consider that idea. When I phoned him this morning, he said that the NEC had decided that, although it could not do as I suggested everywhere, it would do so in the capital, Freetown, and other major towns, where voters could have real difficulty finding their voting stations.
Given the bloody and brutal decade of military conflict, I was encouraged by the positive efforts made by the political parties to ensure that the elections of 14 May will represent a fresh start for sustainable, peaceful democratic politics in Sierra Leone. However, that process is not without real difficulties and, in truth, challenges, given the catalogue of failures since 1991. The criticisms and fears of the opposition parties could be subdued if election observers were in place. There are now only a few small teams of observers across the country, with additional observers arriving during the election campaign.
Anything that can be reported in the Sierra Leone media to show that there is a keen interest in and observation of the elections, especially in the United Kingdom, will help to create confidence in the electoral process and strengthen the acceptance of its outcome. When that high hurdle has been successfully negotiated, it will be crucial to ensure that the issues raised in the memorandum of understanding are followed up.
I want briefly to consider two key issues. First, there should be an overhaul of the Sierra Leone Parliament"s administration and working processes. Secondly, preparations to establish democracy at district level should get under way pretty quickly, and I understand that a draft Bill has now been proposed on that subject. That work will need to be done by all-party committees in Parliament, calling on outside expert advice. The Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the NDI and similar organisations are well placed to provide such advice and guidance. Their work so far has been excellent 124 and has made a vital contribution to the progress made in creating confidence in the real possibility of a peaceful transition to democratic politics after a decade of military conflict.
I hope that our Government will be fully involved in those processes. In fact, to some extent they already are, but it will be encouraging to hear that officially from the Minister speaking from the Dispatch Box tonight. I want the Government to act before the elections to ensure that there are sufficient observers to give the opposition parties in particular confidence in the electoral process and, after the election, to sustain the new democratic start for Sierra Leone by maintaining the momentum for peace and economic recovery through financial, technical and expert support.
I close with the words of early-day motion 1098, which I tabled and which has so far attracted 218 signatures:
this House … looks forward to a new era in Sierra Leone politics where the ballot box and peaceful debate in Parliament and outside will replace permanently the horrors of internal military conflict".I certainly hope that that is the future for Sierra Leone.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Ben Bradshaw)I am extremely grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths) for making the elections in Sierra Leone the subject of this debate, for drawing attention to the recent positive developments there and especially for naming all the groups that, in his view, have contributed so much to those positive developments. That Sierra Leone is holding parliamentary and presidential elections on 14 May is a remarkable achievement. It clearly illustrates the real progress that Sierra Leone, with the help of the United Kingdom, the United Nations and the wider international community, is making towards a lasting peace.
Let me speak first about the peace process. A year ago, more than 50 per cent. of Sierra Leone was under the control of the brutal RUF rebels. Since then more than 50,000 combatants have disarmed and the UN peacekeeping force, UNAMSIL, has deployed throughout the country. The Government of Sierra Leone have restored their authority over the whole country and are now gradually extending basic Government services into areas that have not been under Government control for the best part of a decade. All parts of the country are now accessible.
On 18 January, President Kabbah declared that disarmament was complete and the war over, and on 1 March, he lifted the state of emergency. Thanks to the training provided by, among others, our own armed forces, Sierra Leone can now have more confidence in its rehabilitated armed forces, which are now patrolling the borders effectively. Like my hon. Friend, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the critical contribution made by our armed forces since their deployment to Freetown in May 2000, and by the UN, to the restoration of peace.
Our strategy in Sierra Leone is working, but the peace is fragile, and much remains to be done to consolidate it. In the short term, there is an urgent requirement to establish reintegration programmes across the country to help, through training and employment, former combatants to resettle in their home communities. We are 125 extending a reintegration programme successfully piloted in north-western Sierra Leone to other areas, and we hope that other donors will follow our lead.
The illegal mining of diamonds by the RUF fuelled the conflict. The Government of Sierra Leone need to set out and implement a comprehensive strategy to manage and secure the diamond fields, so that the diamonds can be exploited to the benefit of all Sierra Leoneans and are put beyond the reach of rebel groups. Consultants funded by us have finished a study setting out the options for the Government. We are also funding a technical adviser who will work in the President"s office.
As my hon. Friend rightly says, in the long term Sierra Leone faces the massive task of rebuilding its shattered infrastructure and society. The priority for the new Government after the elections will be to improve standards of governance and to root out the endemic corruption that was one of the root causes of the conflict. Our commitment to Sierra Leone is long term, but we cannot do everything alone. I urge all donors to seize the opportunity for lasting peace in Sierra Leone and to mobilise the funding and technical assistance required for economic, social and political development.
Having described the background, I now focus on the main subject of tonight"s debate: the elections, which should mark a further significant step towards peace and the restoration of normal, peaceful politics. My hon. Friend is right to raise this important issue. Preparations for the elections have taken place in difficult and unusual circumstances. Voter registration commenced barely one month after the ending of disarmament, and a new electoral system—the district block system—has been introduced. Wherever possible, arrangements have been made for refugees and the internally displaced, who are returning to their home communities, to vote.
While I am on the subject of refugees, let me say a little about the issue that my hon. Friend mentioned at the start of his speech—the serious allegations made in the joint report by Save the Children Fund and the UN about the sexual abuse of refugees and the internally displaced by aid workers and peacekeepers. We welcome the UN"s investigation into these allegations and urge the UN to ensure that internationally accepted standards concerning the treatment of refugees are met, and that appropriate controls are put in place to pre vent the recurrence of such unacceptable abuse.
Like most of the institutions in Sierra Leone, the National Electoral Commission has been degraded by years of civil war and it lacks capacity, but it is the NEC, not the international community nor the UN, that has taken on the responsibility tor running the elections. I stress that the elections are being run by Sierra Leoneans for all Sierra Leoneans.
We have long recognised that elections would be an important element of any peace. Through the electoral consultancy International Foundation for Electoral Systems, we have provided more than £3 million of technical and material assistance to the NEC since 2000. The US Government have also provided funding to IFES, and the European Commission has funded the printing and supply of ballot papers.
Security is of course a vital issue in the elections. UNAMSIL is playing a key role by providing a secure environment for the elections, as well as logistical assistance to the national electoral commission, including 126 the security and transportation of election materials. UNAMSIL will also provide advice and support to the Sierra Leone police, who will be responsible for security at polling stations. I commend the UN for that constructive contribution to the elections.
Voter registration took place over three weeks in February and March, and it was extended by one week as a result of organisational and logistical problems. Some 2.3 million people registered to vote. That compares favourably with only 1.6 million registered voters in 1996. The registration process was acknowledged to be fairer and wider than in 1996, and there were no violent incidents. IFES is working with the national electoral commission to ensure that the problems encountered during the registration process do not recur during polling.
Campaigning has now started. Ten parties will contest the elections. There are nine candidates for the presidential elections and 1,349 candidates for the parliamentary elections. The Revolutionary United Front has transformed itself into a political party—the RUFP—and it is the fourth largest party in terms of its number of candidates. We urge the RUFP to continue to turn its back on violence and embrace normal politics.
Participatory politics suffered during the conflict and the parties, especially those in opposition, lack resources, capacity, experience and organisational skills. We have focused on the need to develop the capacity of parties as a priority, not only before the elections, but over the long term. We have provided some £150,000 to fund the Westminster Foundation for Democracy"s work with the parties.
I was pleased to hear my hon. Friend"s positive feedback about the Westminster Foundation for Democracy"s work in Sierra Leone. We have come to expect high standards of that organisation, but this is an important and large programme that is laying the foundations for a longer-term programme in Sierra Leone. I was particularly pleased to learn that its events are well attended and appreciated by the Opposition parties. I commend the Westminster Foundation for Democracy for its valuable work in Sierra Leone.
I thank my hon. Friend for taking the trouble to visit Sierra Leone to participate in the Westminster Foundation for Democracy"s round table on promoting democracy. I am aware from our contacts in Freetown that the round table, which was attended by 12 parties, was a success and that Opposition leaders valued my hon. Friend"s contributions in both formal and informal meetings. If my hon. Friend will allow me, I shall write to him about the detailed point that he raised in relation to his informal surgery concerning Opposition parties" fears about polling stations.
I agree with my hon. Friend that the presence of international observers in addition to local monitors will further help to give the parties confidence in the process and to ensure that the elections are credible. The European Union is fielding an observer mission of 18 long-term and 56 short-term observers. I can confirm that we are contributing one long-term observer and four short-term observers, including the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones). The majority of long-term observers are already in Sierra Leone to observe the electoral preparations and campaigning. I understand that the Commonwealth, the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and Nigeria are also planning to send observer missions.
127 Free access to the media is another important factor in the election campaign. In a country where communication is very difficult, radio is the only medium with national coverage. We have provided more than £20,000 of funding to the Thomson Foundation, which is working with the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service on the reporting of election campaigns. We urge the broadcast and print media in Sierra Leone to play their full part in the elections and ensure that all parties have equitable access to the media. I commend UNAMSIL and several commercial radio stations for giving the political parties free air time on their radio stations.
As my hon. Friend rightly said, we also need to look beyond the elections. Holding credible elections is only one stage in a long process of political development in Sierra Leone. The Government of Sierra Leone, with the support of the United Kingdom and others, must promote improved governance and accountability. I assure my hon. Friend that the United Kingdom is fully involved—probably more involved than any other country, as he must know from his visit. We intend to remain so.
The Government of Sierra Leone need to build the capacity of Parliament, ensure that it has adequate resources and develops a structure of committees so that it can scrutinise more effectively the activities of Government and call the new Government to account. We 128 hope that, after the elections, the new Members of Parliament will raise the profile and reputation of the Parliament through constructive debate.
For the moment, we are looking forward to peaceful and fair elections. I am encouraged that the Opposition parties that attended the Westminster Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding calling for a
democratic system where there will be mutual respect and trust, leading to political processes, the outcome of which will be accepted".I call upon all those participating in the elections, whether candidates or voters, to ensure that the elections are conducted in an atmosphere of peace.We hope that all Sierra Leoneans will benefit from the peace and that, for the first time in a decade, they can exercise their democratic right to vote in peace. In his speech at the George Bush Senior Presidential Library in Texas on 8 April, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke about his visit to Sierra Leone on 9 February. He said:
Never forget: the people are the true victims of conflict. I"ll always remember driving through the villages near Freetown … seeing the people rejoicing—many of them amputees through the brutality from which they had been liberated—and their joy at being free to debate, argue and vote as they wished.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Adjourned accordingly at twenty-seven minutes past Ten o"clock.