To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of the Maldives on charges against members of opposition parties in advance of expected elections in 2008.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East (Dr. Howells) gave to Mr. Spring on 27 February, Hansard, column 1705W.

Free, fair and credible elections are a crucial element of democratic reform in the Maldives. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, emphasised this point to Dr. Mohamad Asim, the Maldivian high commissioner in March. He also pointed out that the freedom of politicians and political parties to campaign and debate freely was a cornerstone of democracy.