Written question asked by Lord Hague of Richmond (Conservative) on Monday, 30 June 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 July 2008. It was answered by David Miliband (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 July 2008 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Lebanon: Elections

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK plans to provide (a) financial and (b) technical support for the conduct of the 2009 parliamentary elections in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The UK places great importance on free, fair and transparent elections in Lebanon in 2009, which takes into account existing proposals for reform as agreed at the Doha conference.The UK is working closely with the EU and UN, who have taken a lead on these issues. In June 2008, the EU sent two election experts to Lebanon to consider the technical feasibility of electoral reforms and to identify areas for EU support to help improve the electoral system in Lebanon. We fully support this and will continue to explore options to provide bilateral assistance in support of EU and UN efforts.

Secondary information