To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2009, Official Report, columns 772-73W, on Honduras: politics and government, for what reasons the UK did not send a representative to observe the recent presidential election in Honduras. (308413)

There was no UK or EU observation mission to monitor the presidential elections in Honduras on 29 November 2009 because the Tegucigalpa/San José Accord was not fully implemented ahead of the elections.

Following the elections the EU issued a statement expressing that the lack of implementation of the accord brought about an “electoral process under abnormal circumstances”. However the UK noted that they were held in a largely peaceful manner. We continue to call for full implementation of the agreement and political reconciliation ahead of the transfer of power to the President-elect on 27 January 2010, and stand ready to work with the new Government to restore democratic order in the country.