[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 673 Engrossed in House (EH)]
H. Res. 673
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
March 8, 2006.
Whereas the establishment of a democratic, transparent, and fair election
process for the 2006 presidential election in the Republic of Belarus
and of a genuinely democratic political system are prerequisites for
that country's integration into the Western community of nations;
Whereas the Government of Belarus has accepted numerous specific commitments
governing the conduct of elections as a participating State of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including
provisions of the 1990 Copenhagen Document;
Whereas these commitments, which encourage transparency, balance, and
impartiality in an election process, have become the standard by which
observers determine whether elections have been conducted freely and
fairly;
Whereas the election on March 19, 2006, of the next president of Belarus will
provide an unambiguous test of the extent of the commitment of the
Belarusian authorities to implement these standards and build a
democratic society based on free elections and the rule of law;
Whereas previous elections in Belarus have not met international standards;
Whereas the 2004 vote on the constitutional referendum in Belarus did not meet
international standards;
Whereas it is the duty of government and public authorities at all levels to act
in a manner consistent with all laws and regulations governing election
procedures and to ensure free and fair elections throughout the entire
country, including preventing activities aimed at undermining the free
exercise of political rights;
Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires a period of political
campaigning conducted in an environment in which neither administrative
action nor violence, intimidation, or detention hinder the parties,
political associations, and the candidates from presenting their views
and qualifications to the citizenry, including organizing supporters,
conducting public meetings and events throughout the country, and
enjoying unimpeded access to television, radio, print, and Internet
media on an equal basis;
Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires that citizens be guaranteed
the right and effective opportunity to exercise their civil and
political rights, including the right to vote free from intimidation,
threats of political retribution, or other forms of coercion by national
or local authorities or others;
Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires the full transparency of
laws and regulations governing elections, multiparty representation on
election commissions, and unobstructed access by candidates, political
parties, and domestic and international observers to all election
procedures, including voting and vote-counting in all areas of the
country;
Whereas control and manipulation of the media by national and local officials
and others acting at their behest could raise grave concerns regarding
the commitment of the Belarusian authorities to free and fair elections;
Whereas efforts by national and local officials and others acting at their
behest to impose obstacles to free assembly, free speech, and a free and
fair political campaign will call into question the fairness of the
upcoming election in Belarus; and
Whereas the arrest or intimidation of opposition political parties and
candidates, such as the leader of the Unified Democratic Forces and
other people involved with the opposition, represents a deliberate
assault on the democratic process: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) looks forward to the development of cordial relations between
the United States and the Republic of Belarus;
(2) emphasizes that a precondition for the integration of Belarus
into the Western community of nations is its establishment of a
genuinely democratic political system;
(3) expresses its strong and continuing support for the efforts of
the Belarusian people to establish a full democracy, the rule of law,
and respect for human rights in Belarus;
(4) urges the Government of Belarus to guarantee freedom of
association and assembly, including the right of candidates, members of
political parties, and others to freely assemble, to organize and
conduct public events, and to exercise these and other rights free from
intimidation or harassment by national or local officials or others
acting at their behest;
(5) urges the Government of Belarus to meet its Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) standards and commitments on
democratic elections, including the standards on free and fair elections
as defined in the 1990 Copenhagen Document;
(6) urges the Belarusian authorities to ensure--
(A) the full transparency of election procedures before,
during, and after the 2006 presidential election;
(B) unobstructed access by election monitors from the Office
of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), other
participating States of the OSCE, Belarusian political parties,
candidates' representatives, nongovernmental organizations, and
other private institutions and organizations--both foreign and
domestic--to all aspects of the election process, including
unimpeded access to public campaign events, candidates, news
media, voting, and post-election tabulation of results and
processing of election challenges and complaints;
(C) multiparty representation on all election commissions;
(D) unimpeded access by all parties and candidates to print,
radio, television, and Internet media on a non-discriminatory
basis;
(E) freedom of candidates, members of opposition parties,
and independent media organizations from intimidation or
harassment by government officials at all levels via selective
tax audits and other regulatory and bureaucratic procedures, and
in the case of media, license revocations and libel suits, among
other measures;
(F) a transparent process for complaint and appeals through
electoral commissions and within the court system that provides
timely and effective remedies; and
(G) vigorous prosecution of any individual or organization
responsible for violations of election laws or regulations,
including the application of appropriate administrative or
criminal penalties;
(7) encourages the international community, including the Council of
Europe, the OSCE, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, to continue their
efforts to support democracy in Belarus and urges countries such as
Lithuania and other Baltic countries and Nordic countries to continue to
provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations and other Belarusian
organizations involved in promoting democracy and fair elections in
Belarus; and
(8) pledges its support to the Belarusian people, their commitment
to a fully free and open democratic system, their creation of a
prosperous free market economy, and their country's assumption of its
rightful place as a full and equal member of the Western community of
democracies.
Attest:
Clerk.