§ Lord Gainfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their reaction to the result of the recent referendum held in Malawi, on whether to adopt a multi-party system of Government.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyWe 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. 1 t is for Malawians to decide upon the timetable for this change, and we hope that restraint will he 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.