Both houses of U.S. Congress pass resolution urging fair and transparent elections in Ukraine (03/24/02)

Both houses of U.S. Congress pass resolution urging fair and transparent elections in Ukraine

WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives and the Senate, acting on March 20 and 21, passed resolutions urging the government of Ukraine to"enforce impartially" its law on elections of national deputies of Ukraine and "meet its commitments on democratic elections."

The companion resolutions also called on Ukraine to "address issues identified by the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] in its final report on the 1999 presidential election, such as state interference in the campaign and pressure on the media" and to "allow election monitors from the ODIHR, other participating OSCE states, and foreign and domestic private institutions and organizations full access to all aspects of the parliamentary election process."

Senate Resolution 205 was unanimously approved late on Wednesday, March 20. The measure was sponsored by Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.); co-sponsors in the Senate were Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.)

The House acted a day earlier, passing the House Resolution 339 by a vote of 408-1. The resolution was introduced by Louise M. Slaughter (D-N.Y.), along with Reps. Joseph Hoeffel (D-Pa.) and Christopher Smith (R-N.J.), and had more than 30 co-sponsors.

Addressing his colleagues, Sen. Campbell stated:

"As of today, with less than two weeks left before the elections, it remains an open question as to whether the elections will be a step forward for Ukraine. Despite considerable international attention, there are credible reports of various abuses and violations of the election law, including candidates refused access to media, the unlawful use of public funds and facilities, and government pressure on certain political parties, candidates and media outlets, and a pro-government bias in the public media.

"Ukraine's success as an independent, democratic, economically successful state is vital to stability and security and Europe, and Ukraine has, over the last decade, enjoyed a strong relationship with the United States. This positive relationship, however, has been increasingly tested in the last few years because of pervasive levels of corruption in Ukraine and the still-unresolved case of murdered investigative journalist Heorhii Gongadze and other issues which call into question the Ukrainian authorities' commitment to the rule of law and respect of human rights."

Rep. Christopher J. Smith (R-N.J.), co-chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, explained the reason for this congressional interest in Ukraine: "An independent, democratic and economically stable Ukraine is vital to the well-being of all Ukrainians to the stability and security of Europe; and we want to encourage Ukraine in recognizing its own often-stated goal of integration into Europe."

"Despite the positive changes that have occurred in Ukraine since independence in 1991, including the economic growth over the last two years, Ukraine is still undergoing a difficult path towards transition. The pace of that transition has been distressing, slowed by insufficient progress in respect for the rule of law, especially by the presence of widespread corruption, which continues to exact a considerable toll on the Ukrainian people. They deserve better, Mr. Speaker, than what they have gotten," he stated.

Rep. Hoeffel said , "If (Ukraine) fails to continue to move forward with democratic reforms, if this is not a fair and free election, it will be a major setback to the cause of democracy in Ukraine."

"It is very appropriate for this government, as friendly as we are with the people and the government of Ukraine, to urge that the government in Ukraine do everything in its power to ensure the fairness and openness of this election process," he said.

Last week Rep. Hoeffel, a member of the House International Relations Committee and the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, participated in a panel discussion on the upcoming parliamentary elections at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center in Jenkintown, Pa. A fellow panelist was Myroslava Gongadze, wife of murdered journalist Heorhii Gongadze, who appeared at Rep. Hoeffel's request.

"Free and fair elections represent the bedrock of democracy," said Rep. Slaughter, a founding member and co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. "The leaders of Ukraine need to demonstrate to their people and the world that the government is serious about reform."

"I hope this resolution sends a clear message to the government of Ukraine that the U.S. Congress will not simply rubber stamp funding requests for Ukraine without also considering the serious issues involved in Ukraine's democratic development," said Rep. Slaughter. "In particular, the conduct of the 2002 parliamentary elections will have a major impact on funding considerations when Members of Congress are again confronted with the task of balancing their support for the U.S.-Ukrainian relationship with Ukraine's progress in making democratic reforms."

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) also spoke in support of the resolution, focusing attention on the young people of Ukraine and the United States.

"I know that I detected, especially among the young [in Ukraine], such a great hope, such a feeling that they had the future of the country in their hands. They are looking for us to pass this resolution to give a signal that our country stands and walks alongside those who are trying to build more open and free societies," she said.

"And so to the young people in our country, I encourage them to pay attention to Ukraine, the most important nation in Central Europe. As it goes, so will the nations around it," Rep. Kaptur stated.

She concluded her remarks by stating "I rise in very strong support of House Resolution 339 and want to thank so very much the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Hoeffel) for bringing this to the attention of the entire world, indeed. We respectfully say to the people of Ukraine, vote, vote wisely, monitor the elections, help to move your country forward, as I know the hearts of your people tell you they want."

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