[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1337 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1337

 Condemning the decision by the Government of Zimbabwe to hold the run-
              off presidential election on June 27, 2008.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 2008

 Mr. Schiff (for himself, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Dreier, Mr. 
     Fattah, Ms. Tsongas, and Mr. Hinchey) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the decision by the Government of Zimbabwe to hold the run-
              off presidential election on June 27, 2008.

Whereas President Robert Mugabe, leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union-
        Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), has controlled Zimbabwe for the past 28 
        years;
Whereas since 1998 Zimbabwe's economic output has decreased 40 percent and its 
        unemployment is estimated at more than 80 percent;
Whereas deteriorating social, economic, and political conditions within the 
        country have caused approximately 3,000,000 citizens to leave Zimbabwe 
        and seek refuge in neighboring nations;
Whereas according to the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC), Morgan Tsvangirai, 
        leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won 47.8 percent of 
        the vote during the presidential elections on March 29, 2008, and 
        President Mugabe won 43.2 percent;
Whereas according to the ZEC, since neither candidate won over 50 percent, a 
        runoff was declared;
Whereas President Mugabe made statements declaring his refusal to step down 
        regardless of the March 2008 or runoff election results;
Whereas over 900 people have been tortured and 87 confirmed dead since the 
        announcement of a second round of elections;
Whereas over 300 persons from the MDC have been arrested and detained since the 
        first round of elections;
Whereas the escalating violence and resistance from the ZANU-PF has forced 
        Tsvangirai to pull out of the race and seek refuge at the Dutch embassy;
Whereas the death toll, violence, and instability in Zimbabwe only continue to 
        intensify;
Whereas United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked Zimbabwe to 
        postpone its run-off elections stating that a vote during the current 
        conditions would ``lack all legitimacy'';
Whereas during the second round of elections on June 27, 2008, many Zimbabweans 
        were forced to go to the polls after being intimidated and threatened by 
        militia forces;
Whereas Tsvangirai spoke out against the elections and encouraged his supporters 
        to vote only if their lives were in danger;
Whereas news agencies such as CNN were barred from entering Zimbabwe and 
        reporting on the second round of elections;
Whereas, on June 29, 2008, in a sham proceeding, Robert Mugabe was sworn in as 
        President of the Republic of Zimbabwe having declared himself the winner 
        of the run-off election;
Whereas since the second round of elections over 500 Zimbabweans have been 
        forced to take refuge at foreign embassies and it has been estimated 
        that 20 more MDC supporters have been killed;
Whereas opposition leaders, international observers and heads of state, 
        including United States President George W. Bush, have denounced the 
        results of the election calling it a ``sham'';
Whereas the G8 leaders have spoken out against the violence in Zimbabwe and have 
        decided to impose targeted sanctions against members of the Zimbabwean 
        Government who are ``responsible for violence'';
Whereas the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) 
        have been engaged in efforts to help end the violence in Zimbabwe by 
        appointing a mediator and contributing other resources, including 
        election observers;
Whereas G8 leaders have called for a special United Nations Security Council 
        envoy to report on the situation in Zimbabwe and help mediate along with 
        Thabo Mbeki, the SADC appointed mediator;
Whereas President Mugabe is in violation of his obligation to the AU, breaking 
        several of the principles outlined in article 3 and article 4 of the 
        AU's Constitutive Act; and
Whereas Zimbabwean citizens, especially as members of the AU, have a right to 
        democratic freedoms, fundamental human rights, good governance, and a 
        just rule of law: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the decision by the Government of Zimbabwe to 
        hold the run-off presidential election on June 27, 2008;
            (2) states that in the absence of a free and fair vote in a 
        run-off election, the legitimacy of the Mugabe regime has been 
        so seriously undermined that Robert Mugabe must step down;
            (3) stands ready to work with the President of the United 
        States and the international community to enhance United States 
        political, diplomatic, and economic sanctions against the 
        government of Robert Mugabe;
            (4) calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe to engage in 
        dialogue with the leadership of the Movement for Democratic 
        Change for the purpose of forming an interim government of 
        national unity that will work to schedule a new presidential 
        election as soon as practicable;
            (5) calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe to allow full and 
        unrestricted access for international humanitarian 
        organizations and human rights monitors and to take all 
        necessary steps to ensure their safety and their ability to 
        operate without hindrance;
            (6) calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure full 
        and unrestricted access for international journalists and to 
        take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of international 
        and local journalists and their ability to operate without 
        hindrance;
            (7) calls upon the African Union, consistent with its 
        charter, to take immediate steps to sanction politically, 
        diplomatically, and economically the government of Robert 
        Mugabe;
            (8) calls upon the Southern African Development Community, 
        consistent with its charter, to take immediate steps to 
        sanction politically, diplomatically, and economically the 
        government of Robert Mugabe;
            (9) urges the Government of the Republic of South Africa to 
        press the government of Robert Mugabe to engage in dialogue 
        with the leadership of the Movement for Democratic Change for 
        the purpose of forming an interim government of national unity 
        that will work to schedule a new presidential election as soon 
        as practicable; and
            (10) calls upon the United Nations Security Council to take 
        immediate steps to end the violence in Zimbabwe, impose an 
        immediate arms embargo on Zimbabwe, and press the government of 
        Robert Mugabe to engage in dialogue with the leadership of the 
        Movement for Democratic Change for the purpose of forming an 
        interim government of national unity that will work to schedule 
        a new presidential election as soon as practicable.
                                 <all>