Vol. 393 No. 6
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will facilitate the presence of Members of the Oireachtas as international observers at the Chilean elections in December, 1989 and/or the forthcoming elections in Nicaragua in February, 1990, in view of the fact that such a presence has been described as being of immense value by democratic forces in both countries.
22.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government will consider sending observers to oversee the elections in Chile on 14 December, 1989 to ensure that they are conducted in a fair and impartial manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
27.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will arrange to have a group of Irish Parliamentarians observe the forthcoming Nicaraguan elections to be held in February, 1990, in view of the likely controversial nature of this planned election.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 22 and 27 together.
It has not been the practice of the Government to send observers to observe elections in other countries and there is no budgetary provision to fund such travel. However, the Government will facilitate as far as possible in other ways those parliamentarians who wish to respond favourably to invitations to observe the elections in Chile and Nicaragua.
