IV 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 712 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 31, 2009 Mr. Filner (for himself, Mr. Graves, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, and Mr. Davis of Tennessee) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Commending the people of Iraqi Kurdistan for reaffirming in the July 25, 2009, parliamentary elections the region’s dedication to democratic ideals and congratulating all the political slates and candidates that participated in the elections, and for other purposes.

Whereas at least since Iraq’s liberation in 2003, the people of Kurdistan have fulfilled the dreams of Kurdish movement founders who envisioned a stable democracy in Iraqi Kurdistan; Whereas the centerpiece of democracy in Iraqi Kurdistan is its system of fair and free elections; Whereas on July 25, 2009, the people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq—Kurds and non-Kurds, Muslims, and Christians—went to the polls in large numbers in a peaceful election and projections indicate that almost 80 percent of eligible voters participated in the elections; Whereas Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission, the country’s formal elections organization, said in a statement following the elections in Iraqi Kurdistan that the electoral process took place in accordance with international standards; Whereas voters in Iraqi Kurdistan have ensured in the elections representation from every constituency within the region: Turkoman, Christians, and Armenians as well as Kurds will be elected among the candidates who ran from more than 25 political slates participating in the elections; Whereas at least 30 percent of the new Kurdistan Region parliament will be women members; and Whereas these elections are only the latest example of Iraqi Kurdistan’s commitment to the democratic ideals of freedom and pluralism, values that it shares with the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)commends the people of Iraqi Kurdistan for reaffirming in the July 25, 2009, parliamentary elections the region’s dedication to democratic ideals; (2)congratulates all the political slates and candidates that participated in the elections; and (3)pledges to work with the President of the United States and the newly elected Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to strengthen the bonds between the United States and Iraqi Kurdistan and to advance the cause of peace in Iraq.