[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 151 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 151

  Concerning the movement toward democracy in the Federal Republic of 
                                Nigeria.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 1993

Mr. Payne of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. McDermott, Mr. 
     Flake, Mr. Mfume, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Ford of Tennessee, Mr. 
  Blackwell, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Kleczka, Mr. Tucker, Mrs. Mink, Mr. Gene 
  Green of Texas, Mr. McCurdy, Mr. Volkmer, Mr. Ford of Michigan, Mr. 
 Roemer, Mr. Holden, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Wynn, Mr. 
   Richardson, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Owens, Mr. Fields of Louisiana, Mr. 
Reynolds, Mr. Moran, Mr. Wheat, Mr. Clay, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
 Peterson of Florida, Ms. Pelosi, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, 
Mrs. Clayton, Mr. Dellums, Ms. McKinney, Mrs. Collins of Illinois, Mr. 
  Coyne, Mr. Kopetski, Mr. Payne of Virginia, Mr. Matsui, Mr. Neal of 
 Massachusetts, Mr. Levin, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, 
 Mr. Hayes, Mr. Towns, Mr. Rush, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Bishop, Mr. 
   Brewster, Mr. Stokes, Mr. Scott, Mr. Rangel, Ms. DeLauro, and Mr. 
    Dixon) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
  referred jointly to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Ways and 
                                 Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Concerning the movement toward democracy in the Federal Republic of 
                                Nigeria.

Whereas on June 12, 1993, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a country with a 
        population of approximately 100,000,000 people (including over 250 
        ethnic groups) constituting approximately \1/4\ the population of sub-
        Saharan Africa, held a presidential election in which over 37 percent of 
        registered voters participated to elect a civilian government;
Whereas the United States Government had joined the international community in 
        applying continuous pressure on the Babangida military government in 
        Nigeria to hold such election;
Whereas Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) received over 58.4 
        percent of the votes, winning a majority of the votes in 20 of the 30 
        States of Nigeria;
Whereas national and international observers ruled this election to be the 
        freest and fairest presidential election in the history of Nigeria;
Whereas on June 23, 1993, the military government annulled the presidential 
        election of June 12, 1993;
Whereas following the annulment of this election, over 100 demonstrators died in 
        pro democracy demonstrations in Nigeria, and hundreds of human rights 
        activists, pro democracy labor leaders, journalists, students, and 
        workers have been arrested since that time;
Whereas on August 27, 1993, the date that President-elect Moshood Abiola was 
        scheduled to take office in accordance with the 1989 Constitution of 
        Nigeria--a constitution modeled after the United States Constitution--
        the military government installed an interim government; and
Whereas throughout Nigeria strikes were held in opposition to this unelected 
        interim government which is now in place and which lacks legitimacy and 
        stability: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) strongly supports freedom and democracy in the Federal 
        Republic of Nigeria;
            (2) strongly supports the wishes of the voters of Nigeria 
        as displayed in the presidential election held on June 12, 
        1993;
            (3) does not recognize as legitimate the interim government 
        in Nigeria installed on August 27, 1993;
            (4) supports extending the limited sanctions now in place 
        against this unelected interim government to include trade 
        sanctions; and
            (5) encourages the President to direct the United States 
        Representative to the United Nations to urge the United Nations 
        Security Council--
                    (A) not to recognize as legitimate the interim 
                government in Nigeria installed on August 27, 1993; and
                    (B) to take the necessary action to mediate the 
                removal of such interim government for the purpose of 
                installing the democratically elected government of 
                June 12, 1993.

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