§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will monitor the elections in the Ukraine on 31 October from the United Kingdom. [96330]
§ Mr. VazAt the invitation of the Ukrainian Government, an official election monitoring mission is being carried out by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. We have funded the Head and Deputy Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Mission. In addition, we have funded the participation of two long-term and 20 short-term monitors for the first round of voting on 31 October. The United Kingdom will fund the continued participation of 11 monitors in the event of a second round of voting. Around 10 members of the British Embassy in Kiev, as well as visiting staff from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, are also accredited as official election monitors and will coordinate their activities with the OSCE/ODIHR Mission. My hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Ms Jones) will participate in monitoring as a member of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.