[{"topic":"Elections","id":"43136","proposer":"11323","edm":"2065","session":"2010-12","title":"Hatip Dicle And Fellow Members Of Parliament","text":"That this House notes the success of the 36 independent candidates of the Labour, Democracy and Freedom block supported by the Kurdish population in the Turkish general election on 12 June 2011; deplores the fact that Hatip Dicle, whose candidature was approved by the country's Supreme Election Board, the YSK, has been hastily revoked by the same body; expresses its solidarity with Dicle and his fellow MPs who are now boycotting the assembly in protest; calls on theGovernment to make representations to the Turkish government to avert the emerging political crisis and enable the duly elected MPs to take up their seats; and believes that the real solution to the current deadlock lies in the opening up of a dialogue for peace between the government in Ankara and the true representatives of the Kurdish people.","date":"2011-07-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"42700","proposer":"24852","edm":"1649","session":"2010-12","title":"Burma And The Eu","text":"That this House notes that despite holding an election in November 2010, Burma has failed to meet the requests of the EU Common Position, last renewed on 26 April 2010, which called on Burma to take steps to bring about a peaceful transition to a democratic, civilian and inclusive system of government, to release political prisoners, to provide for free and fair elections, to engage with the international community and to respect international human rights and humanitarian law; further notes with concern that these requests have not been met; further notes that the November 2010 elections were widely dismissed as neither free nor fair, and that although Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been released more than 2,000 political prisoners remain in detention; and calls on the Government to make representations in support ofa UN Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma, ahead of the EU Council Position renewal in April 2011.","date":"2011-03-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"42541","proposer":"24919","edm":"1502","session":"2010-12","title":"Irish General Election Result","text":"That this House notes the heavy defeat of the governing Fianna Fail party in the Irish General Election; further notes the loss of all the seats in the Dail of its junior partner, the Green Party; believes that both parties were severely punished for their aggresive austerity policies and mismanagement of the economy, which were deeply unpopular with the Irish people; and warmly congratulates the Irish Labour Party, which celebrates its centenary next year, on its historic performance.","date":"2011-03-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"42405","proposer":"10619","edm":"1380","session":"2010-12","title":"Stoke-On-trent (Electoral Changes) Order 2011","text":"That this House notes that the Stoke-on-Trent (Electoral Changes) Order 2011 seeks to implement the recommendations of the Electoral Commission's review of electoral arrangements for Stoke-on-Trent Council; recognises that many representations were received in respect of those changes; further notes that the timetable for implementation is somewhat later than envisaged; particularly notes the concern of the three hon. Members representing Stoke-on-Trent constituencies that in the case of some new wards, including on the eastern side of the city, contrary to what was originally expected, there is not to be a one member one ward arrangement; and urges the Commission to revisit this proposal at the earliest opportunity.","date":"2011-02-01","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"42352","proposer":"11323","edm":"1333","session":"2010-12","title":"South Sudan Referendum And Peace Campaigning By Emmanuel Jal","text":"That this House notes the peaceful South Sudan independence referendum which took place between 9 January and 15 January 2011; welcomes the fact that the referendum's validity threshold of 60 per cent. of the electorate voting was reached and hopes that, whatever the result, there shall be an end to violence in the region; supports the We Want Peace campaign by international artiste and former south Sudanese child soldier and Lost Boy, Emmanuel Jal, who is a spokesman for the Make Poverty History campaign, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, the Control Arms campaign, Oxfam and Amnesty International; and believes that music can make a difference and can unite people and that the message of the We Want Peace song has a universal theme to end political violence and suffering across the world.","date":"2011-01-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"41769","proposer":"24820","edm":"803","session":"2010-12","title":"Local Government","text":"That the draft Cheshire East (Electoral Changes) Order 2011, which was laid beforethis House on 11 October, be not made.","date":"2010-10-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"41770","proposer":"24883","edm":"804","session":"2010-12","title":"Local Government (No.2)","text":"That the draft Cheshire West and Chester (Electoral Changes) Order 2011, which was laid beforethis House on 11 October, be not made.","date":"2010-10-12","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"41719","proposer":"10753","edm":"759","session":"2010-12","title":"Voter Registration Requirements","text":"That this House expresses its dismay at the Government's view that there should be no requirement on individuals to register to vote; believes that it is a citizen's civic duty to register to vote; notes that in Northern Ireland where individual voter registration has already been introduced it remains an offence not to return the voter registration form; and calls on the Government to reconsider its position in the light of the message about the importance of voter registration it sends out to the public.","date":"2010-09-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"41057","proposer":"11333","edm":"141","session":"2010-12","title":"Fixed Term Parliament","text":"That this House welcomes the coalition Government's commitment to introduce fixed term parliaments; expresses concern that the date identified for the next general election, the first Thursday of May in 2015, is the same day as elections for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly; notes that, following an inquiry, the Scottish Parliament elections have already been de-coupled from local government elections because of the confusion caused for voters of multiple elections using different voting systems on the same day; further notes the Liberal Democrat policy paper agreed at the party's 2007 autumn conference, For the People, By the People, which states that `Liberal Democrats have long argued that parliaments should last for a fixed term of four years'; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislation for fixed term parliaments of four years in order to avoid a situation where voters will be confronted with three different ballot papers each using different voting systems.","date":"2010-06-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"41058","proposer":"10231","edm":"1A1","session":"2010-12","title":"Inability Of People To Vote On Polling Day","text":"leave out from `problems;' to `future;' in line 11 and insert `welcomes the fact that the 2010 general election was held on the same day as local elections which resulted in many more people voting in the local elections than is usually the case;'.","date":"2010-06-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"40915","proposer":"11707","edm":"1","session":"2010-12","title":"Inability Of People To Vote On Polling Day","text":"That this House notes with concern that a significant number of electors around the country were turned away from polling stations on 6 May 2010, denying them the right to vote even though they turned up before the close of poll; welcomes the Electoral Commission's recent report that a change in the law should be introduced so that everyone turning up before the close of poll should be afforded the opportunity to vote; further welcomes its recommendation that local authorities review the number of polling districts and polling stations as well as contingency arrangements in the event of future problems; furthernotes, with particular concern, that confusion over eligibility to vote in either election was a significant factor in delaying the voting process; calls on the Government to make changes in the law to avoid multiple elections taking place on the same day in future; and further calls on local authorities to take note of the Electoral Commission's recommendations, and carry out a review of polling districts and the number of polling stations available for people to cast their vote.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"40765","proposer":"10462","edm":"1123","session":"2009-10","title":"Campaign For The Restoration Of Varosha","text":"That this House recalls the continued interest of hon. Members on all sides of the House in this and previous Parliaments in the neglect and dereliction of Varosha, the sealed-off section of Famagusta; notes the more recent interest of the European Parliament in this situation through a visit to the area by its Petitions Committee which concluded among other things that with the return of Varosha to its original and lawful inhabitants it could become a laboratory of development and a symbol of the future of Cyprus; concurs with this judgement; believes also that the project of reconstructing and regenerating Varosha would deliver an unparalleled stimulus to the economy in the north as well as in the south of Cyprus; further believes that this would build the confidence which would underpin the successful future of a reunited Cyprus; and calls on the Government through all means available to it to promote and support such an initiative.","date":"2010-03-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"40657","proposer":"10487","edm":"1031","session":"2009-10","title":"Electoral Commission Powers","text":"That this House deeply regrets that various officers and staff of the Conservative Party refused to attend interviews with the Electoral Commission when requested; believes the investigation into Bearwood Corporate Services Ltd suffered as a result; and further believes the Electoral Commission requires additional powers to compel the attendance of people at interviews held in connection with its investigations into possible breaches of electoral law.","date":"2010-03-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"40651","proposer":"10057","edm":"1025","session":"2009-10","title":"Draft Structural Changes Orders 2010","text":"That this House asks for the withdrawal of the Draft Exeter and Devon (Structural Changes) Order 2010 and the draft Norwich and Norfolk (Structural Changes) Order 2010 on the grounds that there is insufficient evidence that the course proposed in the Orders will solve the problem identified without creating unacceptable consequences elsewhere; believes that it is clearly wrong to depart from published procedures based on five published criteria during the application process without further consultation; further believes that the Department's compelling reasons for the change are not compelling to any reasonable person; further believes that the proposed timing of cancelling local elections affects local democracy unreasonably; notes that the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the draft Orders unusually does not make a clear, evidence-based case for the policy proposal; and further notes the exchange between the Permanent Secretary and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.","date":"2010-03-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"40633","proposer":"10063","edm":"1007","session":"2009-10","title":"Iraqi Elections","text":"That this House notes the Iraqi elections are taking place on 7 March 2010; calls for the elections to be fair, free of intimidation and peaceful; further notes that Iraqi citizens in the UK are able to vote at four centres, and hopes that these arrangements will also be fair and free of intimidation; and calls on the Government to monitor the election campaign and raise immediately with the Iraqi government any concerns about electoral fraud or any other electoral malpractice.","date":"2010-03-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"40639","proposer":"10304","edm":"1013","session":"2009-10","title":"Science And The General Election 2010 Campaign","text":"That this House congratulates the Royal Society of Chemistry for its pioneering organisation of the event, Science and the General Election 2010, to be held in the Attlee Suite on 9 March 2010 at 7.30pm; recognises that the Society has organised this debate on science `to serve the public interest' in conjunction with the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology and major UK science and engineering organisations including the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Physics, the Society of Biology, the Campaign for Science and Engineering, the Geological Society, the Royal Astronomical Society and others; acknowledges the growing interest in debating science and engineering issues prior to the General Election; recognises that science and engineering will play a vitally important part in a wide range of issues facing the next Parliament and the next Government; and hopes that right hon. and hon. Members from all sides of the House and members of the science and engineering community will be able to benefit from listening to the Parliamentary representatives of the major parties who will be taking part in this debate.","date":"2010-03-04","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"40537","proposer":"10032","edm":"925","session":"2009-10","title":"Access To Voting For Disabled People","text":"That this House recognises that at the last general election 68 per cent. of polling stations had one or more access barriers that could prevent a disabled person from voting independently; notes that despite disabled people making up a considerable proportion of the electorate, some still find it more difficult to vote than non-disabled people; welcomes Scope's Polls Apart campaign which asks for disabled people to have the same access to Britain's democracy as everyone else; further notes that to ensure that disabled people can take an active and equal role in the life of their community, polling stations, and thus the community buildings they are housed in, must be accessible to disabled people, not just on election day but every day; further notes that although postal voting is an alternative for some disabled people it is also inaccessible to many disabled people; and calls on the Government to ensure that all electors can vote independently, in secret and with dignity.","date":"2010-02-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"40479","proposer":"11245","edm":"870","session":"2009-10","title":"Use Of Public Funds By Local Authorities For Publications During Elections","text":"That this House calls on the Government to ensure that local authorities do not use public funds for publishing newspapers, information sheets or updating websites during the long and short campaigns for elections.","date":"2010-02-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"40462","proposer":"10262","edm":"862","session":"2009-10","title":"Armed Forces Voting","text":"That this House expresses concern that a third of service personnel are not currently registered to vote; notes the difficulties which many servicemen and women experience in voting; further notes that the extremely tight timetable for a general election with candidates only being nominated 11 days before polling day, does not leave enough time thereafter for postal ballot papers to be printed, distributed to service personnel deployed abroad, particularly those who are at present in Afghanistan, and returned in time to be included in constituency counts; and calls on the Government to amend the timetable for general elections to match the local election timetable, with candidates being nominated 16 days before polling day, thus easing the logistical barrier to service personnel exercising their right to vote.","date":"2010-02-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"39944","proposer":"10116","edm":"383","session":"2009-10","title":"People With A Learning Disability And Voting","text":"That this House is concerned that less than 20 per cent. of those eligible to vote with a learning disability voted in the last General Election; believes that in order to encourage more effective engagement of people with a learning disability in the democratic process, local authorities, political parties and central government should produce accessible material in relation to electoral matters; notes the work of Mencap's Get My Vote campaign to encourage political parties to produce easy to read manifestos and United Response's Every Vote Counts campaign to ensure that people with a learning disability are engaged in the democratic process; and calls on all prospective parliamentary candidates to make their election material easily accessible for people with a learning disability.","date":"2009-12-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"39816","proposer":"10472","edm":"273","session":"2009-10","title":"Vote Cruelty Free Coalition","text":"That this House welcomes Vote Cruelty Free, a new coalition working to ensure the political process reflects concern for animal protection; notes that the coalition comprises the BUAV, Compassion in World Farming, International Fund for Animal Welfare, League Against Cruel Sports and Respect for Animals and covers a wide range of animal welfare issues; and calls on all prospective Parliamentary candidates to support this coalition.","date":"2009-11-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"39735","proposer":"11621","edm":"195","session":"2009-10","title":"Parliamentary Elections (Recall And Primaries) Bill","text":"That this House is deeply concerned about the lack of public engagement in political and democratic affairs and the cynicism and distrust of the political system felt by many voters; notes that the recent Power Inquiry found that this is all too often borne out of a sense of disempowerment; believes that new measures are required to enable voters to participate more fully in the political system; welcomes the provisions of the Parliamentary Elections (Recall and Primaries) Bill proposed in the last session by a cross-party group of hon. Members that would permit voters to recall their hon. Member in certain specified circumstances and also require a returning officer to hold primary elections if requested to do so by any local political party with the support of at least 1,000 voters; further notes that the leaders of the three largest political parties have expressed support for the need for new initiatives to engage the public; and hopes that this Bill will become law expeditiously, believing that it will help restore faith in the political process.","date":"2009-11-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"39522","proposer":"10249","edm":"2033A1","session":"2008-09","title":"Save General Election Night Campaign","text":"at end add `in addition notes that the failure of the Government to put into position proper safeguards against the fraudulent use of postal votes; further notes that the rules regarding postal votes are the reason for the difficulties in counting votes in the traditional manner; and calls on the Government to change the arrangements for postal votes to make it possible for local authorities to complete their count on Thursday night.'.","date":"2009-11-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"39353","proposer":"11245","edm":"2090A1","session":"2008-09","title":"Parliamentary Elections (Recall And Primaries) Bill","text":"leave out `1,000' and insert `500'.","date":"2009-10-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"39321","proposer":"11621","edm":"2090","session":"2008-09","title":"Parliamentary Elections (Recall And Primaries) Bill","text":"That this House is deeply concerned about the lack of public engagement in political and democratic affairs and the cynicism and distrust of the political system felt by many voters; notes that the recent Power Inquiry found that this is all too often borne out of a sense of disempowerment; believes that new measures are required to enable voters to participate more fully in the political system; welcomes the provisions of the Parliamentary Elections (Recall and Primaries) Bill tabled by a cross-party group of hon. Members that would permit voters to recall their hon. Member in certain specified circumstances and also require a returning officer to hold primary elections if requested to do so by any local political party with the support of at least 1,000 voters; further notes that the leaders of the three largest political parties have expressed support for the need for new initiatives to engage the public; and hopes that this Bill will become law expeditiously, believing that it will help restore faith in the political process.","date":"2009-10-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"39026","proposer":"11245","edm":"1816","session":"2008-09","title":"National Policy For Local Elections","text":"That this House believes that a national policy to promote competition in local election contests should be adopted before the next dissolution of Parliament; further believes that this policy should include a comprehensive plan to inform the public of all local election contests; and urges the Government to introduce a mandatory code of conduct for returning officers to raise public engagement in local elections and to ensure greater consistency in the application of election law.","date":"2009-07-06","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"38704","proposer":"11245","edm":"1534","session":"2008-09","title":"Local Authorities And Candidate Electoral Packs","text":"That this House is concerned at the widely differing practices of local authorities when issuing candidates electoral packs; notes that in some cases documents are only available upon request or withheld from the candidate until after the election; and calls on the Government to instruct the Electoral Commission to ensure there is a consistent system of best practice.","date":"2009-05-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"38660","proposer":"10295","edm":"1489","session":"2008-09","title":"Gibraltar And The European Elections","text":"That this House notes the great enthusiasm demonstrated by Gibraltarians in exercising their right to vote in the European elections as part of South West England constituency; notes with admiration that in 2004 the turnout at 60 per cent. was nearly double the UK average; acknowledges the battle that Gibraltarians fought for their right to vote at the European Court of Human Rights; commends the level of political awareness and eagerness to express themselves democratically; and hopes the high turnout tradition will be recognised and influence the wider European electorate.","date":"2009-05-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"37786","proposer":"10190","edm":"731","session":"2008-09","title":"Individual Registration For Postal Voting","text":"That this House supports the recommendations of Sir Christopher Kelly, Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, to introduce individual registration for postal voting; notes that individual registration, which already exists in Northern Ireland, requires voters to supply a signature, date of birth and national insurance number to be included on the roll; believes that the introduction of such a system would decrease the opportunities for people to manipulate the system for their own gains; and calls on the Government to create a clear timetable which will detail when individual registration will be implemented in England, Scotland and Wales.","date":"2009-02-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"37323","proposer":"11607","edm":"314","session":"2008-09","title":"Early Voting","text":"That this House notes that the current electoral arrangement in the UK of allowing only one day to vote is insufficient and can hinder the democratic process; further notes that turnout can be raised substantially by making voting easier or more attractive; applauds the US for its introduction of early voting; further notes that nearly a third of American voters have cast their ballots before election day 2008; urges the Government to introduce early voting procedures in the UK to arouse voter engagement and increase turnout; further notes that those who work irregular and long hours are unfairly disadvantaged by single day voting; further urges the Government to introduce legislation allowing for early voting in the UK with immediate effect; and further notes that this action would benefit the democratic process and provide for greater electoral equality which all political parties should be in favour of.","date":"2008-12-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"37193","proposer":"10304","edm":"199","session":"2008-09","title":"Electoral Fraud","text":"That this House notes the improved security of ballots in Northern Ireland following implementation of the Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 which has also resulted in increased levels of voter registration; further notes the successful prosecutions for electoral fraud in Slough, Peterborough and Birmingham; further notes the 2007 Council of Europe investigation into electoral fraud in the UK and the recent report entitled Purity of Elections in the UK: Causes for Concern, published by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd which highlights how vulnerable the electoral system is to electoral fraud; and calls on the Government to improve electoral security across the rest of the UK.","date":"2008-12-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"37054","proposer":"10527","edm":"62","session":"2008-09","title":"Angola Elections","text":"That this House welcomes recent legislative elections in Angola, the first since 1992; notes with concern reports from the European Union observers and Human Rights Watch that the elections were not free, fair and transparent; and calls on the Government to act to encourage the Angolan state to ensure that a free, fair and transparent process is followed for the scheduled 2009 presidential election.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"36884","proposer":"11607","edm":"2478","session":"2007-08","title":"Early Voting","text":"That this House notes that the current electoral arrangement in the UK of allowing only one day to vote is insufficient and can hinder the democratic process; further notes that turnout can be raised substantially by making voting easier or more attractive; applauds the US for its introduction of early voting; further notes that nearly a third of American voters cast their ballots before election day 2008; urges the Government to introduce early voting procedures in the UK to arouse voter engagement and increase turnout; further notes that those who work irregular and long hours are unfairly disadvantaged by single day voting; further urges the Government to introduce legislation allowing for early voting in the UK with immediate effect; and further notes that this action would benefit the democratic process and provide for greater electoral equality which all political parties should be in favour of.","date":"2008-11-11","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"36890","proposer":"10521","edm":"2478A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Early Voting","text":"at end add `and suggests that voting at weekends should be introduced.'.","date":"2008-11-11","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"36793","proposer":"10304","edm":"2401","session":"2007-08","title":"Electoral Fraud","text":"That this House notes the improved security of ballots in Northern Ireland following implementation of the Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 which has also resulted in increased levels of voter registration; further notes the successful prosecutions for electoral fraud in Slough, Peterborough and Birmingham; notes that the 2007 Council of Europe investigation into Electoral Fraud in the UK and the recent report entitled Purity of Elections in the UK: Causes for Concern, published by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd highlights how vulnerable our electoral system is to electoral fraud; and calls on the Government to improve electoral security across the rest of the UK.","date":"2008-11-03","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"36750","proposer":"12004","edm":"2316A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Us Presidential Election","text":"at end add `and the end of George W. Bush's term as US President.'.","date":"2008-10-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"36684","proposer":"11522","edm":"2316","session":"2007-08","title":"Us Presidential Election","text":"That this House looks forward to the election of Senator Barack Obama as President of the United States of America.","date":"2008-10-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"36521","proposer":"10527","edm":"2171","session":"2007-08","title":"Angola Elections","text":"That this House welcomes recent legislative elections in Angola, the first since 1992; notes with concern reports from the European Union observers and Human Rights Watch that the elections were not free, fair and transparent; and calls on the Government to act to encourage the Angolan state to ensure that a free, fair and transparent process is followed for the scheduled 2009 presidential election.","date":"2008-10-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"36479","proposer":"11245","edm":"2130","session":"2007-08","title":"SPEAKER'S CONFERENCE ON THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND ETHNIC MINORITIES","text":"That this House recognises the desirability of increasing the number of women in Parliament and better matching the make-up of Parliament to the people it represents; and notes the Speaker's Statement of 22nd July but hopes that nothing will be done either to restrict the electorate's choice of their own hon. Member or further to strengthen the power of political parties to control the democratic process through the use of candidate list systems in elections.","date":"2008-07-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"36258","proposer":"10009","edm":"1936","session":"2007-08","title":"Zimbabwe Election","text":"That this House believes the so called election in Zimbabwe was a complete disgrace from beginning to end and that the results do not reflect the will of the people of Zimbabwe; notes with grave concern the atrocious levels of violence and intimidation meted out by Robert Mugabe and his henchmen to the opponents of this dictator; deplores the spineless response of African Union countries and world governments to this election; endorses and, furthermore, will act to ensure that the wise words of Edmund Burke are taken into serious immediate consideration by Parliament, `All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing'; and encourages the rest of the world community to bring forward proposals to invalidate this corrupt election forthwith.","date":"2008-07-01","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"36205","proposer":"10600","edm":"1884","session":"2007-08","title":"Political Violence In Zimbabwe And 27th June Presidential Vote","text":"That this House condemns the ongoing campaign of murder and brutal political violence perpetrated by the regime of President Robert Mugabe against the Zimbabwean people which has led to the withdrawal from the 27th June presidential run-off of first-round winner and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai; notes with grave concern the vow of President Mugabe that the MDC will `never, ever be allowed to rule Zimbabwe' and his claim that `only God will remove him' from office; and calls on the African Union and the Southern African Development Community not to recognise the result of this election.","date":"2008-06-25","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35937","proposer":"10190","edm":"1655","session":"2007-08","title":"GEORGIA'S DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT","text":"That this House welcomes the progress made in Georgia's democratic development; notes that international observers have concluded that the recent parliamentary elections showed further progress but that there is still much to be done; calls on the Georgian government and the Central Election Commission to deal quickly and transparently with all complaints and violations of electoral law; encourages all parties to make their views known peacefully, within the law and the democratic framework, and to take up the opportunity provided by the seats they have won in parliament to participate in the political process in good faith; and further encourages all stakeholders to continue the search for a peaceful resolution of the conflicts so that Georgia can continue to develop as a modern, European country.","date":"2008-06-02","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35860","proposer":"11995","edm":"1583","session":"2007-08","title":"Elections In The Republic Of Maldives","text":"That this House welcomes the forthcoming presidential elections in the Republic of Maldives as the country's first multi-party elections; notes with concern that there is no independent election commission in the Maldives; further notes with concern that state-run media institutions, including the country's only television channel, are under no obligation to provide equal coverage for all political parties and their candidates, including the main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party; encourages the Government to establish an independent field presence in the Maldives to monitor the election process, or assist the EU to send at least 30 election observers to the Maldives; and further encourages the Government to emphasise the importance of a free and fair electoral process as part of the continuing political and constitutional reforms.","date":"2008-05-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35798","proposer":"11473","edm":"1528","session":"2007-08","title":"Fixed-Term Parliaments","text":"That this House supports the principle of fixing the duration of parliaments by law and removing from the Government the power to call general elections at times of its choosing.","date":"2008-05-09","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35701","proposer":"11798","edm":"1440","session":"2007-08","title":"Election Literature","text":"That this House deplores the production of misleading election literature; notes and regrets the deeply misleading political leaflets issued by Labour District Council candidate Chris Flynn in London Colney, Hertfordshire, entitled Tory Gypsy Sites Still To Be Decided; further notes the erroneous assertion within the leaflet that the East of England Regional Assembly is Tory controlled; notes that the proposal from the East of England Regional Assembly for the number of pitches for each district was proposed by a Liberal Democrat councillor and seconded by a Labour councillor; draws attention to the debate on the subject on 20th June 2007 where the concerns of local people about the proposals were described by the Minister as `groundless prejudice'; is saddended that Labour Council candidates seek to disassociate themselves from the Government's national policy to provide additional gypsy and traveller pitches under the Regional Spatial Strategy RSS Single Issue Review on Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation; and urges the Government not to impose additional gypsy and traveller sites in Hertfordshire over and above that which is considered necessary by local people and their elected representatives.","date":"2008-04-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35629","proposer":"10077","edm":"1382","session":"2007-08","title":"Elections In Paraguay","text":"That this House warmly congratulates Fernando Lugo and the Patriotic Alliance for Change on their election victory in Paraguay ending 60 years of the conservative Colorado Party rule; recognises the victory as part of the continued shift to the left across Latin America as often impoverished citizens seek political alternatives to neo-liberal economic policies imposed upon them by domestic oligarchic elites and North American business interests; and calls upon the Government fully to respect and engage meaningfully with the democratic choice and popular governance of administrations led by Fernando Lugo (Paraguay), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (Argentina) and Tabar\u00c3\u00a9 V\u00c3\u00a1zquez (Uruguay) who seek to prove that another world is possible.","date":"2008-04-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35590","proposer":"10487","edm":"1346","session":"2007-08","title":"Electoral Registration, Planning Consent And Council Tax Bands At 214-216 Manchester Road, Nelson","text":"That this House notes with concern that, according to the Register of Electors, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Pendle, Afzal Anwar, a barrister, shares the property at 214-216 Manchester Road, Nelson, with another 26 voters; believes the property was originally two terraced houses but was knocked into one; notes the explanation from the Party's election agent, Tony Greaves, that the property is home to the candidate, his father, three brothers, their families and contains 24 bedrooms; further notes that Pendle Council's Executive Director (Citizen and Community Services), Philip Mousdale, stated on 10th April that he had recently been informed that the property was in fact not one but three separate properties and that the Electoral Register would be amended accordingly; further believes that, in the light of these revelations and concerns in 2005 over registrations at the address of the former Liberal Democrat candidate for Parliament, Shazad Anwar, individual voter registration should be brought in without delay as a matter of the greatest urgency to safeguard the integrity of elections; and, in the meantime, calls upon Pendle Council to say who informed Philip Mousdale that the property had been converted and whether this has been independently verified and when planning permission for the conversion of the property at Manchester Road into three separate and self contained units was applied for and granted; and further calls on Pendle Council to disclose which council tax band the three converted properties now fall into and the band or bands that applied before the conversion.","date":"2008-04-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35599","proposer":"10218","edm":"1355","session":"2007-08","title":"Fraud And The Postal Vote","text":"That this House believes in the maximum participation and registration of electors in the UK; notes the statement by Richard Mawrey QC that the postal vote on demand system remains wide open to fraud; further notes the Council of Europe's indictment of the integrity of the electoral system; further notes the Electoral Commission's proposal that there should be individual electoral registration in the UK; believes that the postal vote on demand system must be ended in order to restore the integrity of the electoral system; and believes that, if it is necessary to move to individual registration, the Government must increase resources to local authorities to ensure that the most deprived and oppressed voters do not fall out of electoral registration.","date":"2008-04-21","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35544","proposer":"10123","edm":"1258A1","session":"2007-08","title":"Election Fraud","text":"at end add `and in postal voting arrangements.'.","date":"2008-04-01","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35492","proposer":"11420","edm":"1258","session":"2007-08","title":"Election Fraud","text":"That this House notes the Judgment of Richard Mawrey in the Slough Election Court; further notes in particular his statement that `despite the 2006 Act, the opportunities for easy and effective electoral fraud remain substantially as they were on 4th April 2005'; recognises that there remain material problems with the system of electoral registration in the UK; and calls for urgent action from the Government to restrain fraud in the creation of electoral registers.","date":"2008-03-26","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35363","proposer":"10190","edm":"1143","session":"2007-08","title":"BURMA'S CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM","text":"That this House notes the decision of the Burmese military regime to hold a referendum on a new constitution in early May 2008; is concerned that clauses in the draft constitution would preclude the election of Aung San Suu Kyi or other legitimate non-military opposition leaders; condemns the harsh restrictions in place against campaigners against the referendum; further notes that among those Burmese citizens to be denied the opportunity to vote within Burma will be approximately 350,000 Buddhist clergy, 500,000 internally displaced Burmese and 160,000 refugees on the Thai-Burma border; further notes the opportunity to vote will also be denied to an estimated 150,000 Burmese migrant workers in Malaysia, Singapore, China and India, to 50,000 Burmese refugees in India, and to an estimated four million Burmese living in exile around the world, including in Britain; calls for the referendum to be held in an atmosphere of freedom and respect for basic rights; looks forward to the day when all Burmese citizens over 18 are afforded the right to vote, without regard to religion, gender, ethnicity or political affiliation; and calls on the Government to continue to press the EU, the US and Burma's neighbours to take a strong and united position on Burma and to support the Burmese people in their struggle for full democratic rights.","date":"2008-03-10","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35237","proposer":"10169","edm":"1039","session":"2007-08","title":"Election Of Demetris Christofias As President Of Cyprus","text":"That this House warmly congratulates Demetris Christofias, leader of AKEL, on his election in the Cyprus Presidential elections on 24th February; also welcomes the statement of the runner-up, former Cyprus Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides MEP, offering his unconditional support to the new President, particularly as far as the solution of the national problem is concerned; and, after years of a stalled process for settlement, calls upon President elect Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to take advantage of this new appointment to implement promptly confidence building measures including supporting the opening of the Ledra Palace\/Lakmaci checkpoint in central Nicosia and other checkpoints, progress on Famagusta\/Varosha, demining throughout the Buffer Zone, the teaching of each other's language in state and other schools, efforts to preserve and enhance the natural environment of Cyprus, following the success of the work of the UN Missing Persons Committee, setting up the committees envisaged in the Gambari Agreement of 8th July 2006 to deal with issues identified by Cypriots, and to consider setting up a process involving individual Cypriots, civil society and social partners to allow Cypriots to come together to own the process of creating their own future in their own demilitarised, peaceful and reunited island; and sees Mr Christofias's election, given his long track record of working across the divide for a just solution in Cyprus, as the best hope for a settlement for many years.","date":"2008-02-26","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35242","proposer":"11148","edm":"1044","session":"2007-08","title":"Re-Unification Of Cyprus And The Presidential Elections","text":"That this House congratulates Demetris Christofias on his election victory in Cyprus and further welcomes his reported commitment to explore how to reunite the island of Cyprus and to build a consensus between northern and southern communities.","date":"2008-02-26","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35064","proposer":"11641","edm":"888","session":"2007-08","title":"Election Of Reina Emily Lawrence","text":"That this House notes that the election of Reina Emily Lawrence as a councillor was a significant milestone in the campaign for women's rights and equality; further notes that the 100th anniversary of the election of the first female councillor on 12th December 1907 has generated considerable local and national coverage; and supports proposals to have a commemorative blue plaque erected in Avenue Road, London NW3.","date":"2008-02-05","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"35035","proposer":"10619","edm":"859","session":"2007-08","title":"Democratic Elections In Pakistan","text":"That this House is saddened by the tragic death of Benazir Bhutto on 27th December 2007; pays tribute to her work as the first elected woman leader of a Muslim country; and calls on the UK Government to do all it can to support democratic elections in Pakistan.","date":"2008-02-04","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"34966","proposer":"10367","edm":"802","session":"2007-08","title":"Russian Presidential Elections","text":"That this House notes that the candidacy of Mikhail Kasyanov collected two million signatures supporting his nomination for the Russian presidential elections; is concerned that the Central Electoral Commission has now barred his candidacy; is aware that he was considered unlikely to win that election; recognises that this will inevitably be interpreted as a retreat from Russia's freely given commitment to the internationally recognised principle of democratic elections; and asks the Russian authorities to clarify their commitment to free and fair elections whereby the Russian people have the chance to decide not only the winner but also how strongly to support candidates putting forward views opposed to the winning candidate.","date":"2008-01-28","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"34916","proposer":"10487","edm":"754","session":"2007-08","title":"Individual Voter Registration","text":"That this House notes the concerns of the Monitoring Committee on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that serious shortcomings remain in the system of postal voting used in the United Kingdom and that it is `childishly simple' to register bogus voters; and believes the Government should heed the earlier warnings of the Electoral Commission on the scope for abuses of household registration and bring in individual voter registration as a matter of urgency.","date":"2008-01-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"34762","proposer":"11333","edm":"611","session":"2007-08","title":"Support For Scottish Independence","text":"That this House welcomes the recent TNS\/System Three poll which shows that support for Scottish independence has surged to 40 per cent., up from 35 per cent. within the last four months, while the number who oppose independence has fallen to 44 per cent. from 50 per cent.; notes that this strong improvement in polling support reflects the impressive record and ratings of the SNP Scottish Government; and highlights the success of the Scottish Government's National Conversation which is leading the constitutional debate on the future of Scotland.","date":"2007-12-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"34697","proposer":"10057","edm":"556","session":"2007-08","title":"London Assembly","text":"That this House notes that in May 2008 there is a possibility that at least two members of the British National Party (BNP) will gain a seat on the London Assembly, and that as things currently stand there is a grave risk of these two members of the BNP having a deciding vote on the Mayor's budget; believes that this is a potentially disastrous situation in which a future Mayor of any party could depend on BNP support to pass his budget; calls upon all politicians for all parties to denounce the BNP in London and to work together to combat anyone who seeks to play the race card in London politics; and further calls upon the Government to uses its powers to combat this very real threat.","date":"2007-12-11","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"34634","proposer":"10077","edm":"501","session":"2007-08","title":"Referendum In Venezuela","text":"That this House notes the results of the referendum in Venezuela on 2nd December, in which proposed constitutional changes narrowly failed to be endorsed by 51 per cent. to 49 per cent.; further notes that President Hugo Ch\u00c3\u00a1vez quickly accepted the result and congratulated the opponents of the proposed constitutional changes on their success; believes that this election is one example of the vibrancy of the democratic process in Venezuela and of President Ch\u00c3\u00a1vez's commitment to democracy; further notes that this was the 12th national vote in Venezuela since 1998 when Hugo Ch\u00c3\u00a1vez was first elected; believes this commitment to democracy is in contrast to the way that opponents of the Ch\u00c3\u00a1vez government have sought to overthrow it through non-democratic means including a military coup in 2002; is concerned by the false claims that were made by opponents of Venezuela's elected government in the run-up to the referendum that the vote may not be free and fair and believes that these have been shown to be unfounded; further notes that Hugo Ch\u00c3\u00a1vez's current term as President runs to 2012 and offers its ongoing support to his government's policies of advancing social inclusion and equality; and is confident that Hugo Ch\u00c3\u00a1vez will continue to lead the fight against neo-liberalism in Latin America, supported by all those who wish to end the exploitation of the people and environment of that continent.","date":"2007-12-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"34638","proposer":"10218","edm":"505","session":"2007-08","title":"Opinion Poll On Iran","text":"That this House congratulates the Mayor of London on his commissioning of a Mori Poll which, inter-alia, revealed that 70 per cent. of Londoners believed that the British Government's support for an American-led attack on Iran would make London less safe; notes that only 3 per cent. believed that it would make London more safe, whilst 78 per cent. of Londoners believed that the British support for such an attack on Iran would make a terrorist attack on London more likely; further notes that 75 per cent. of Londoners thought America would be wrong to take military action against Iran and that 75 per cent. would oppose British forces joining American-led military action against Iran; and therefore calls upon the Government to take careful note of these opinions, which are widely shared throughout the country.","date":"2007-12-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"34371","proposer":"10439","edm":"264","session":"2007-08","title":"Elections In Sierra Leone","text":"That this House congratulates Sierra Leone for its recent conduct of successful parliamentary and presidential elections, and the peaceful transition of power to the new regime; notes the important role of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in providing training and support to the political parties in Sierra Leone; supports the Foundation's ongoing work in the country; further supports President Koroma's desire to tackle corruption; believes that Sierra Leone can now build on these elections to create a prosperous and democratic state; recognises the role that Britain and the United Nations played in bringing stability to Sierra Leone; welcomes the trial of Charles Taylor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in the Hague; and hopes that the conclusion of this trial will allow Sierra Leone to leave its difficult past behind it.","date":"2007-11-14","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"34126","proposer":"10606","edm":"36","session":"2007-08","title":"Review Of Polling Districts And Polling Places In Leeds","text":"That this House views with grave concern proposals by the Leeds Conservative Group, backed in most cases by its Liberal Democrat allies, to remove polling stations and merge polling districts in a way that would make it more difficult for the overwhelming majority of those electors in the affected areas to cast their votes; welcomes the fact that council officers evaluating such proposals against the appropriate accessibility tests have refused to support them; notes that council officers have endorsed proposals from all parties that genuinely attempt to improve access to polling places; expresses concern that despite this objective scrutiny by officers it still remains open for the controlling coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to use their majority to vote their proposals through the council; and calls on the Electoral Commission to monitor closely the review of polling districts and polling places in Leeds to ensure that voting is not made more difficult and that the objectivity of council officers is maintained.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"},{"topic":"Elections","id":"34191","proposer":"11963","edm":"101","session":"2007-08","title":"Arrest Of Colombian Trade Unionist","text":"That this House notes with extreme concern the arrest on 27th October 2007 by the Colombian authorities of opposition candidate Moises Delgado and trade union leader Eliberto Poveda in the region of Sumapaz; notes that the detention of Mr Delgado occurred only a day before he was due to be a candidate in Colombia's regional elections and that he was one of a number of opposition candidates to be incarcerated in the run up to the election in what appears to be an attempt to subvert the democratic process; further notes that numerous trade unionists have been detained in Colombia and held for months and sometimes years without being convicted of any crime; and calls upon the UK Government to make urgent representations to the Colombian government on the fate of these two men and to consider an immediate freeze in UK military assistance to Colombia until such time as the Colombian authorities begin respecting the human rights and legitimate political activity of the Colombian people.","date":"2007-11-06","status":"c"}]