[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 483 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 483
Pledging continued United States support for the sovereignty,
independence, territorial integrity, and democratic and economic
reforms of the Republic of Georgia.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 8, 2003
Mr. Hastings of Florida submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on International Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Pledging continued United States support for the sovereignty,
independence, territorial integrity, and democratic and economic
reforms of the Republic of Georgia.
Whereas on November 23, 2003, Eduard Shevardnadze stepped down as President of
the Republic of Georgia after nearly three weeks of peaceful and
bloodless protests following parliamentary elections the opposition
contended were rigged;
Whereas the observer mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe reported that recent electoral processes in the Republic of
Georgia did not meet the standards of a free and fair election;
Whereas the Department of State issued statements on November 20-21, 2003,
expressing deep disappointment that ``massive vote fraud'' had taken
place during the November 2, 2003, parliamentary elections in the
Republic of Georgia;
Whereas the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Georgia ruled that the
November 2 election was fraudulent;
Whereas the political opposition of the Republic of Georgia, lead by Nino
Budzhanadze, Mikhail Saakashvili, and Zurab Zhvaniva, successfully drove
from office President Eduard Shevardnadze through a bloodless
revolution;
Whereas Eduard Shevardnadze, as foreign minister of the Soviet Union under
Mikhail Gorbachev, made an enormous contribution to the transformation
of world politics, and later, as the President of the Republic of
Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze exhibited wisdom, courage, and nationalism
in stepping down from the presidency rather than using force to maintain
his leadership;
Whereas in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Georgia the
Parliamentary Speaker Nino Budzhanadze has become interim president;
Whereas on November 23, 2003, the United States recognized Nino Burdzhanadze as
the interim president of the Republic of Georgia, offered its support,
and urged that new elections be free and fair;
Whereas on November 24, 2003, the European Union expressed support for the
interim government and called for democratic elections;
Whereas interim president Nino Burdzhanadze called for order to be re-
established and for presidential elections to be held within a
constitutionally-mandated 45 days;
Whereas a representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the
stability, peace, and development of the Republic of Georgia;
Whereas the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has pledged up
to $6,000,000 to help administer presidential and legislative elections
in the Republic of Georgia;
Whereas Congress has earmarked or allocated $1,100,000,000 in aid to the
Republic of Georgia, among the highest for the Eurasian region in per
capita terms, over the decade spanning 1992-2002;
Whereas the Members of the House of Representatives have pledged to provide
further support and assistance to the people of the Republic of Georgia
to help them consolidate the democratic process in their country;
Whereas the United States supports a free, democratic, strong, and successful
Republic of Georgia; and
Whereas the current political situation in the Republic of Georgia requires
urgent attention: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) congratulates Eduard Shevardnadze and the leaders of
the political opposition of the Republic of Georgia--Nino
Budzhanadze, Mikhail Saakashvili, and Zurab Zhvaniva--for their
courage and patriotism in dealing with the recent political
crisis in the Republic of Georgia peacefully and bloodlessly;
(2) urges all political segments, as well as social sectors
and institutions in the Republic of Georgia, to strive, through
dialogue, to achieve the national reconciliation for which both
the people of the Republic of Georgia and the international
community yearn;
(3) calls on the interim government to act expeditiously to
conduct free, fair, and open elections; and
(4) calls on the President to urge the people in all
sectors of society of the Republic of Georgia to respect and
preserve the free exercise of the essential elements of
democracy.
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