§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, following the Declaration by the Presidency of the European Union of 26 May on the withdrawal of the European Union's electoral observation mission from Peru, and the Preliminary Report to the Secretary-General of the Organisation 208WA of American States (OAS) by the Head of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission, Dr Eduardo Stein, of 31 May, they will now consult with other European Union governments on the measures to be taken to persuade the government of Peru to return to constitutionality and genuine democracy; and whether in the meanwhile they will invite the former Peruvian presidential candidate Alejandro Toledo to Britain for discussions on further initiatives to promote the rule of law in Peru. [HL2705]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe United Kingdom has played a leading role in the European Union in calling for free and fair elections in Peru. We discussed the issue with our European partners in Brussels on 31 May and 7 June and member states released a statement on 9 June reaffirming our continuing concerns over the irregularities and anomalies in the election process. We fully support the decision by the OAS to send a mission to Peru to examine ways of strengthening democracy. At present, there are no plans to invite Alejandro Toledo to the United Kingdom, but he would of course be welcome if he were to come.