Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with the donor co-ordination group for the Democratic Republic of the Congo with regard to providing funding for the forthcoming local, provincial and general elections in 2015 and 2016 in that country.

DFID has been in close and continuous discussion with the donor co-ordination group on the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We have discussed specifically how to coordinate support to civic education and local observation. Alongside other partners we are also engaged in an on-going discussion with the United Nations Development Programme who have prepared a new programme to support the electoral cycle. We have also participated actively in the MONUSCO-led discussions on support to elections.