Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the decision by the Cambodian Electoral Commission to bar the opposition party from that country's General Elections; and whether he has raised this with the Cambodian government.

We are disappointed by the decision of the Cambodian Electoral Commission to reject the Candlelight Party's election registration. We understand that the Candlelight Party will appeal this decision and the British Embassy in Phnom Penh will follow developments closely. The Embassy has been engaging a wide range of opposition parties, including the Candlelight Party, in the run up to the national election in July. Our Ambassador regularly raises our support for open democratic space at the highest levels with the Cambodian authorities. Our Embassy in Phnom Penh will continue to monitor the situation as Cambodia heads towards the elections.