§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department gave to the Independent Electoral Commission in The Gambia(a) prior to and (b) during the presidential election held on 18 October. [10979]
§ Clare ShortSince 1999 we have provided support to the Independent Electoral Commission to develop and upgrade its electoral records database. In the run up to the presidential elections we provided consultancy support and various items of equipment in support of the voter re-registration exercise.
During the elections themselves we contributed to the costs of international observers to monitor the election process.
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance she will give to the Independent Electoral Commission in The Gambia prior to its 2002 parliamentary elections. [10980]
§ Clare ShortThe support we have already provided to the Independent Electoral Commission prior to the presidential elections, particularly on voter re-registration, will also be relevant to the Parliamentary Assembly elections in 2002. We have not yet had discussions with the IEC about any additional requirements for the Assembly elections, but when we do so we will take into account possible support from other donors and experience in the presidential elections.
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will review her programme of assistance to The Gambia following the presidential election held on 18 October. [10981]
§ Clare ShortOver the past year our assistance to The Gambia has been concentrated on facilitating the electoral process, and on the implementation of the poverty reduction strategy. The future of the programme will depend on our overall assessment of The Gambian Government's commitment to poverty reduction, democracy and human rights. We will review the programme early in 2002.