[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1230 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                         June 19, 2008.
Whereas the Zimbabwean African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), led by 
        President Robert Mugabe, has controlled Zimbabwe's executive and 
        legislative branches for 28 years;
Whereas over the past 8 years, ZANU-PF has suppressed political dissidents and 
        won elections and referendums through the use of vote rigging, localized 
        violence, harassment, and intimidation;
Whereas the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe has been worsening 
        since 2000, culminating in the current electoral crisis;
Whereas Presidential and Parliamentary elections were held in Zimbabwe on March 
        29, 2008;
Whereas the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) released the results for the 2008 
        presidential election 5 weeks after the contest took place, announcing 
        President Mugabe won 43.2 percent of the vote, while Morgan Tsvangirai, 
        leader of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), won 
        47.8 percent of the vote;
Whereas as the ZEC announced neither candidate won over 50 percent of the vote, 
        the 2 candidates have to compete in a runoff election;
Whereas the long delay in announcing the presidential election results 
        undermined the credibility of the ZEC;
Whereas the Zimbabwean people have indicated through the ballot box that they 
        want a change in leadership;
Whereas in the wake of the elections, President Mugabe has unleashed security 
        forces and militia against opposition supporters and members of civil 
        society;
Whereas over 2,900 people have been tortured and beaten, and at least 36 have 
        been confirmed dead as a result of an ongoing campaign of state-
        sponsored political violence;
Whereas government security forces raided the MDC party headquarters, arresting 
        300 people, some of them children;
Whereas government security forces have detained Morgan Tsvangirai on multiple 
        occasions as he has tried to campaign for the June 27, 2008, runoff 
        election, and have arrested MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti;
Whereas the offices of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network have been raided 
        and some of its employees detained;
Whereas security forces have attacked humanitarian organizations and civil 
        society groups;
Whereas the Government of Zimbabwe has suspended the activities of humanitarian 
        aid organizations in its country, putting hundreds of thousands of 
        children and other vulnerable members of the population at risk of 
        hunger and malnutrition;
Whereas diplomats, including the United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, have been 
        detained by government security forces in direct contravention of the 
        protections offered diplomats in the Vienna Convention;
Whereas South African President Thabo Mbeki has stated that the political 
        violence in Zimbabwe is a cause for ``serious concern'';
Whereas the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) 
        have been continually engaged in efforts to bring about an end to the 
        political crisis in Zimbabwe;
Whereas the AU and SADC dispatched delegations to Harare, but have not yet 
        successfully compelled the Government of Zimbabwe to restore the rule of 
        law;
Whereas Zimbabwe's gross domestic product declined about 43 percent between 2000 
        and 2007 and the unemployment rate is 80 percent;
Whereas Zimbabwe's inflation rate, at almost 165,000 percent, is the highest in 
        the world and has contributed significantly to the country's economic 
        collapse;
Whereas worsening economic conditions and commodity shortages have caused at 
        least 3,000,000 people to flee the country;
Whereas after the March 29, 2008, elections the opposition offered to enter into 
        a dialogue to bring about an end to the ensuing political crisis;
Whereas all parties must engage constructively towards peace and reconciliation 
        for the sake of the Zimbabwean people; and
Whereas the people of Zimbabwe deserve the assistance of the international 
        community in the restoration of fundamental human rights, democratic 
        freedom, and the rule of law: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls on all security forces, informal militias, and individuals 
        to immediately cease attacks on and abuse of civilians;
            (2) strongly condemns the orchestrated campaign of violence, 
        torture, and harassment conducted by the ruling party and its supporters 
        and sympathizers in the police and military against members of the 
        opposition, opposition parties, and all other civilians;
            (3) calls on the Government of Zimbabwe to create an environment 
        conducive to a peaceful transition of power;
            (4) encourages the political parties to commit to forming a 
        government that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people and promotes 
        national unity, the restoration of the rule of law, and genuine 
        democratic governance;
            (5) advocates for a mechanism such as a truth and reconciliation 
        commission through which to ensure accountability for all groups and 
        individuals who are found to have orchestrated or committed human rights 
        violations in the context of the elections;
            (6) urges the United Nations, with the cooperation and support of 
        the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) 
        to dispatch a special envoy to Zimbabwe without delay, with a mandate to 
        monitor the runoff elections and the human rights situation, and to 
        support efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the political crisis;
            (7) urges the international community, under the leadership of the 
        United Nations, AU, SADC, and the SADC Parliamentary Forum, to deploy 
        teams of credible persons to serve as monitors to ensure that the 
        outcome of the presidential runoff elections reflects the will of the 
        Zimbabwean people;
            (8) commends the people of Zimbabwe for their continued courage in 
        the face of systematic persecution, intimidation, and abuse, and commits 
        to providing continued humanitarian assistance until the economic crisis 
        is resolved;
            (9) commends the actions being taken by activists, civil society 
        organizations, and churches in support of democracy and respect for 
        basic human rights and the rule of law in Zimbabwe, and encourages these 
        entities to maintain their activities; and
            (10) stands in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.