§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had, and with whom, in Malawi following the recent democratic referendum results; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydNone. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I have given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Luff).
§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the result of the recent referendum held in Malawi on whether to adopt a multi-party system of government.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe have noted with satisfaction the view of the joint international observer group that the referendum vote was an accurate expression of the wishes of the Malawi people. We hope that there will now be an orderly move towards the introduction of multi-party democracy. It is for Malawians to decide upon the timetable for this change, and we hope that restraint will be exercised on all sides. In this context we welcome President Banda's acceptance of the result and his commitment to legalise political parties and review legislation to take account of human rights concerns.