Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on its commitment not to hold a referendum on further constitutional change in 2017.

We welcome the political deal signed on 31 December between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the main political parties, which included the commitment to not hold a referendum on further constitutional change in 2017. We applaud the perseverance of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Congo (CENCO) in achieving this. As I said in my statement of 6 January, it is imperative that this deal is implemented as soon as possible so that elections can take place this year.

Both the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development James Wharton MP and I visited the DRC last year and met with senior government and opposition figures. We pressed the need for the government to respect the constitution and hold elections, as well as respecting human rights. We continue to encourage the government and the opposition to cooperate and consolidate the progress they have already made.

The UK has earmarked £11.4 million to support a transparent electoral process provided that a realistic budget and timetable are released, and all the conditions set out in the Constitution and in UN Security Council Resolution 2277 are met. The EU and a number of nations, including the US have made similar pledges.