Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Ecuador on ongoing elections in that country.

Our Embassy in Quito has had discussions with the candidates and remains in close contact on this issue with other Embassies and International Organisations in country.

The first round of the Ecuadorean Presidential elections took place on 7 February. Staff from our Embassy in Quito participated in observation on the day, alongside international partners. We observed nothing of concern in terms of the conduct of the poll. The second round will be held on 11 April, and the UK fully supports the Government of Ecuador in running a peaceful, open and inclusive electoral process.