[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 566 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 566

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives urging Israel and 
   the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to reach agreement on 
    holding free and democratic elections in Gaza and the West Bank.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 4, 1994

  Ms. Danner (for herself, Mr. Rahall, and Mr. Kildee) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives urging Israel and 
   the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to reach agreement on 
    holding free and democratic elections in Gaza and the West Bank.

Whereas the United States has traditionally supported the principle of free and 
        democratic elections to settle political disputes;
Whereas elections are an essential step in establishing self-government for the 
        Palestinian people of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and are thereby an 
        indispensable element for reaching a comprehensive, just, and lasting 
        peace in the Middle East;
Whereas Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed the historic 
        Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (DOP) 
        at the White House on September 13, 1993;
Whereas Article III of the DOP calls for elections in the West Bank and Gaza 
        Strip with the goal of holding the election no later than 9 months after 
        the entry into force of the DOP so that the Palestinian people may 
        govern themselves according to democratic principles;
Whereas the DOP calls for the direct, free, and general election of a 
        ``Council'' under the supervision of international observers;
Whereas on May 4, 1994, the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation 
        Organization signed an interim agreement on self-rule in the Gaza Strip 
        and the Jericho area that reaffirms the election of a Palestinian 
        Council (Article III.6); and
    Whereas Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman 
            Yasser Arafat met in Gaza on September 25, 1994, to discuss 
            the issue of Palestinian elections in the West Bank and 
            Gaza and agreed to continue negotiations on the issue in 
            the coming months: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization 
        (PLO) to reach agreement on the modalities for holding free and 
        democratic elections in Gaza and the West Bank at the earliest 
        possible moment;
            (2) calls upon the Administration to assist Israel and the 
        Palestinian Council in negotiating the election modalities 
        promptly and to offer the assistance of United States agencies 
        and institutions in the preparation for Palestinian elections; 
        and
            (3) urges that universal suffrage be afforded to all 
        qualified Palestinians, including residents of East Jerusalem 
        and displaced Palestinians registered before June 4, 1967, as 
        stipulated in the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-
        Government Arrangements (DOP), without reference to race, 
        religion, gender, or citizenship.
                                 <all>