Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support she plans to offer to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help it hold the presidential elections in that country planned for 2017.
The UK currently provides support to increase the democratic representation of women and youth, protect human rights defenders and broaden electoral observation activities.
Last year, we announced that additional funding would be made available to update the national electoral roll, if all parties were prepared to hold free, fair and timely elections. That offer remains on the table, and the recent political accord signed in the DRC is a marker of growing commitment to hold elections.