§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Lord Privy Seal if Her Majesty's Government have reached a conclusion on whether to send observers to the elections in El Salvador.
121W
§ Mr. Luce[pursuant to his reply, 3 February 1982, c. 154]: Subject to their being satisfied about security, the Government have now decided to send observers to monitor the electoral process in El Salvador.
The elections are to take place on 28 March. We are in touch with the Government of El Salvador about the precise arrangements. We envisage, however, that we shall send two official observers to El Salvador some time before the election day—28 March—to enable them to form a view of the election campaign and other preparations and that they will remain in El Salvador to see the poll take place, the votes counted and the result announced. We have not yet chosen observers but they will be of independent public standing and we will ask them to form their own conclusions about the elections in the light of their experience in El Salvador.
A copy of their report will be placed in the Library of the House and made public.