Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the transparency and legitimacy of the electoral process in Venezuela.

The UK, together with EU and other international partners, have serious reservations about the transparency and legitimacy of the electoral process in Venezuela. We regret that the recent Presidential elections were convened without wide agreement on the date or on the conditions for a credible and inclusive process. We are also concerned at the government's continued attacks on opposition politicians, a number of whom have been prosecuted, imprisoned or stripped of their political rights.

The impartiality of the National Electoral Council (CNE) is questionable, having failed to guarantee a level playing field for all candidates and political parties in the 20 May Presidential elections. Elections were clearly not free, fair or transparent. These elections have only created further obstacles to a peaceful, negotiated political solution. We believe that Venezuela should hold new elections which meet international democratic standards.

Condemnation of the Presidential elections has been swift and loud. The Foreign Secretary, who was in the region at the time of the elections, issued a strong statement criticising the elections. The EU, US, G7 and G20 also issued similar statements. We will continue to judge the Venezuelan government on its actions. It needs to take immediate steps to restore the democratic order and release political prisoners. EU foreign Ministers issued a statement to this effect following the Foreign Affairs Council on 28 May.