Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the use of Bonn Powers by the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina in relation to (1) election law, and (2) the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; and in any such plans, what consideration they are giving to the risk of denial of rights of representation in the House of Peoples for ethnic minorities in the cantons in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The delicate balance of power sharing in Bosnia and Herzegovina is set out in the Dayton Peace Agreement and other documents. These afford certain protections to the three Constituent Peoples and 'Others'. However, misuse of these mechanisms is preventing functional government and blocking progress. There has been no domestic agreement on electoral and constitutional reform despite US and EU facilitated talks. With this in mind and aware of the need for a functional Federation, the UK strongly supports the High Representative and the use of his executive powers should the situation require it.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had within the Peace Implementation Council of the Dayton Peace Agreement regarding (1) election law reform, and (2) forthcoming elections, in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and to what extent any such discussions have noted the importance of maintaining the ability for full electoral participation by ethnic minorities within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly supports the High Representative and the use of his executive powers should the situation require it. Officials have made this clear in meetings of the Steering Board of Ambassadors of the Peace Implementation Council. The measures he imposed on 27 July are a valuable step towards increasing the integrity and transparency of the 2 October elections. He has also called on Bosnia and Herzegovina's political party leaders to develop domestic solutions to the significant functionality problems. We encourage leaders to engage constructively to find solutions.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support an inclusive process for any constitutional reform in Gambia.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The British High Commission in Banjul regularly raises good governance and democracy with the Government of The Gambia. The UK-funded International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance has facilitated peaceful and constructive dialogue between political, civil society and religious groups to help progress a stalled constitutional reform process in The Gambia and welcome President Barrow's commitment to passing a new constitution during his tenure. In association with the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, the UK also provides legislative support and judiciary training for parliamentarians to build capacity within the judiciary system.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the recent parliamentary by-elections in Zimbabwe, what most recent assessment she has made of the political situation in that country.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK welcomes the largely peaceful manner in which parliamentary and local council by-elections took place in Zimbabwe on 26 March. However, the UK remains concerned by incidents of political violence and restrictions on political gatherings in the lead-up to the by-elections.
The UK does not support any particular candidate or political party in Zimbabwe. It is for the people of Zimbabwe to choose their government through free and fair elections. In ensuring this, we encourage the Government of Zimbabwe to implement the recommendations of the 2018 Electoral Observation Missions ahead of the 2023 elections, including on voter registration, the voters' roll, use of state-owned resources, independence of the Election Commission and access to state owned media. More broadly, we have been clear that the UK would like to see the Government of Zimbabwe meet its international and domestic obligations by respecting the rule of law, safeguarding human rights, and implementing genuine political and economic reform, in line with the President's commitments, for the benefit of all Zimbabweans. I [Minister Ford] emphasised these messages when I met President Mnangagwa on 1 November 2021 at the COP26 World Leaders Summit in Glasgow.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had at ministerial level with Southern African Development Community (SADC) members states concerning the prospect for free and fair elections with respect to the 26 March (1) parliamentary, and (2) municipal, by-elections in Zimbabwe.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
There has been no ministerial contact with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) partners specifically on Zimbabwe's March 26 by-elections. However, through our Embassies and High Commissions, the UK regularly discusses the political, economic, and human rights situation in Zimbabwe with its international partners. The UK is committed to working in partnership with the SADC and the African Union as well as other international organisations. The Minister for Africa met with President Mnangagwa on 1 November 2021 and raised our concerns regarding human rights, the shrinking of democratic space and the importance of Zimbabwe demonstrating a positive trajectory ahead of the 2023 elections. The UK continues to urge the Zimbabwean Government to fulfil their own constitution and their commitments to reform electoral laws.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, , what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) the proposed transfer of prosecutorial powers from the Electoral Commission and (b) reform of the Serious Fraud Office on the overall capacity of the (i) CPS and (ii) Government to conduct prosecutions against people charged with criminal acts.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Electoral Commission has to date never brought criminal prosecutions. The measures in the Elections Bill simply maintain the status quo.
The Elections Bill clarifies that the Electoral Commission should not bring criminal prosecutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and provides that this should remain the responsibility of the Crown Prosecution Service and Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland which are already experts in this domain. Having the Commission perform this function would risk wasting public money by duplicating the work of the prosecution authorities. We are committed instead to supporting the police and prosecution authorities as necessary to enforce electoral regulation proactively and effectively.
As a result, the Government does not anticipate that this measure will result in any impact on prosecution rates or any costs.
The Bill makes no changes to the Commission’s investigatory powers. The Electoral Commission will continue to have a wide range of investigatory and civil sanctioning powers available to it and, as is currently the case, it will continue to be able to refer matters to the police and the prosecution authorities.
More generally, the Government will invest an additional £80 million per year in the Crown Prosecution Service by 2025. This will allow for the recruitment of additional frontline staff to deal with all types of casework, including electoral offences.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, in response to the petition highlighting the disenfranchisement of around five million Zimbabweans in the diaspora, which was presented at 10 Downing Street by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation on 2 December 2021.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We are aware of the petition submitted by the groups MyRight2Vote, Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation, and Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe. The onus is on the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure that all citizens have the ability to vote in line with the constitution, section 67 of which states that "Every Zimbabwean citizen above 18 years has the right to vote secretly in elections". However, the UK continues to urge the Zimbabwean Government to fulfil their own constitution and their commitments to reform electoral laws.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the petition submitted by MyRight2Vote, Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation, and Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe to the Prime Minister on 2 December 2021, what assessment they have made of the disallowance of Zimbabweans to vote in elections from outside of the country; and what representations they plan to make to the government of Zimbabwe to protect the democratic rights of its displaced peoples.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We are aware of the petition submitted by the groups MyRight2Vote, Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation, and Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe. The onus is on the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure that all citizens have the ability to vote in line with the constitution, section 67 of which states that "Every Zimbabwean citizen above 18 years has the right to vote secretly in elections". However, the UK continues to urge the Zimbabwean Government to fulfil their own constitution and their commitments to reform electoral laws.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Malawi.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Malawians can be rightly proud of their commitment to resolving political differences through their country's democratic institutions and processes, in particular during the last electoral period. When my predecessor visited Malawi in October 2020, he congratulated President Chakwera and Vice President Chilima on Malawi's peaceful transition of power, and explored areas where the UK could support the government's reform agenda, including on anti-corruption, long-term economic development and supporting the poorest.
As a long term friend of Malawi, we continue to work with the Malawian Government to tackle the issues that matter to Malawians. We welcome Malawi's strong engagement this year at the Global Education Summit, on climate change negotiations through COP26, and its effective Presidency of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a citizen’s assembly to discuss electoral reform.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government is aware of various proposals to establish citizens' assemblies. We have carried out significant engagement throughout the development of the Elections Bill and we will continue to do so to support its ongoing delivery.