HC Deb 11 July 1997 vol 297 cc624-5W
Sir John Stanley

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken by the British Government since 1992 to support democracy and free and fair elections in Sierra Leone. [7800]

Mr. Tony Lloyd

We contributed £3 million towards the 1996 electoral process and sent five observers to join the UN election monitoring group.

Baroness Chalker visited Sierra Leone in January 1996 and met with the Sierra Leone government, opposition parties and NGOs. We have actively supported NGOs in the promotion of good governance.

We have strongly condemned the 25 May coup and are pressing for a peaceful solution to the crisis. We are active within the international organisations that have a role to play, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the EU. We support the efforts of regional states to restore the democratically elected government.