The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Hugo Swire)
I would like to take the opportunity to update the House on the outcome of the recent elections in Burma.
National and regional parliamentary elections took place in Burma on 8 November. Official statements from international observers paint a positive picture and suggest that election day passed in a calm and orderly manner. These landmark elections are an important step towards democracy, and a victory for the people of Burma. This is the first time in over 50 years that they have had the opportunity to choose their parliamentary representatives, and to make their voices heard in support of democratic change.
The general good conduct of the election is also a credit to the current Burmese Government and the Union Election Commission. The dignified manner in which the result has been accepted by the governing Union Solidarity and Development Party is also commendable. Of course the process was not perfect—it was inevitable that there will have been flaws and complaints. It is important that these are properly investigated through official mechanisms.
The UK has supported this technical process throughout. This support has included, amongst other things, allocating £2.7 million to provide specialist technical advice to the Union Election Commission (through the International Foundation for Electoral Systems), £1.5 million to train 5,000 domestic observers, and £400,000 to provide international best practice on security planning, focusing on communication and community engagement. Embassy staff from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development, Ministry of Defence and UKTI took part in the observation of the preparations for voting and election day itself.
The next stages, including a peaceful and orderly transition to a new Government, will not necessarily be easy. There is a lengthy interregnum before, constitutionally, newly elected parliamentarians convene in February to choose a president. The president should, in turn, form a Government in March. During this period we call on all sides to engage in a spirit of openness and dialogue to manage a peaceful handover of power. The new Government will face high expectations and a demanding workload. Building on the nationwide ceasefire agreement to achieve a comprehensive sustainable peace and addressing the dire situation of the Rohingya minority in Rakhine will be pressing early concerns. The UK will continue to support the people of Burma in their aspiration for a democratic and accountable Government, including those unable to vote in this election. This will include providing practical and material support as well as raising human rights abuses, which remain a significant challenge.
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