§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the fairness of the presidential elections held in Equatorial Guinea on 15 December. [88682]
§ Mr. RammellWe are concerned at reports of election irregularities. These concerns were reflected in the EU's Declaration of 18 December which focused on the lack of opposition representation, the fact that opposition leaders are either in prison or in exile, and that the recommendations on human rights observance and governance of the UN Special Representatives had not been followed through. The EU statement also urged the government of Equatorial Guinea to extend a political amnesty for the opposition, and, with the opposition, to hold an all-inclusive political dialogue on advancing democratisation and establishing guarantees for the respect of human rights.