[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 151 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 151

Urging the Government of Afghanistan to ensure transparent and credible 
  presidential and provincial elections in April 2014 by adhering to 
     internationally accepted democratic standards, establishing a 
  transparent electoral process, and ensuring security for voters and 
                              candidates.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2013

  Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Menendez, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. 
 Cardin, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Cornyn) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

                             June 25, 2013

  Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
                                preamble

                              July 9, 2013

      Considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended preamble

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Urging the Government of Afghanistan to ensure transparent and credible 
  presidential and provincial elections in April 2014 by adhering to 
     internationally accepted democratic standards, establishing a 
  transparent electoral process, and ensuring security for voters and 
                              candidates.

Whereas Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission has affirmed that 
        Afghanistan will hold presidential and provincial elections in April 
        2014 and parliamentary elections in 2015;
Whereas Afghanistan's current electoral process was established in 2004 by the 
        Constitution of Afghanistan;
Whereas the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework conditions some international 
        assistance to Afghanistan on the holding of credible, inclusive, and 
        transparent elections in 2014 and 2015, among other measures to improve 
        governance;
Whereas Afghanistan lacks a comprehensive and accurate voter registry, and 
        previous voter registration drives have resulted in duplicate or 
        fraudulent registrations, according to a report by the National 
        Democratic Institute;
Whereas security concerns and voter intimidation have impeded the ability of 
        people in Afghanistan to cast votes reliably and safely in past 
        elections;
Whereas Afghan women in particular are prevented from meaningful participation 
        in the electoral process due to the security environment, the scarcity 
        of female poll workers, and lack of awareness of women's political 
        rights and opportunities, according to the Free and Fair Election 
        Foundation of Afghanistan;
Whereas Afghanistan's 2009 presidential election was characterized by inadequate 
        security for voters and candidates, low voter turnout, and widespread 
        fraud, according to the National Democratic Institute;
Whereas Afghan officials disputed the results of Afghanistan's 2010 
        parliamentary elections and established a Special Election Tribunal to 
        investigate allegations of fraud;
Whereas following the 2010 parliamentary elections, Democracy International's 
        Afghanistan Election Observation Mission concluded that comprehensive 
        electoral reform is necessary to ensure a free, fair, and credible 
        election process in 2014;
Whereas the current president of Afghanistan is serving a second elective term 
        and the Constitution of Afghanistan states, ``No one can be elected as 
        president for more than two terms.'';
Whereas the current president of Afghanistan has committed to not seeking 
        another term in office;
Whereas, on several occasions since the late 1970s, civil war has broken out in 
        Afghanistan over the legitimacy of the Afghan government;
Whereas United States taxpayers have invested more than $89,500,000,000 in 
        reconstruction and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan since October 
        2001, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan 
        Reconstruction (SIGAR);
Whereas a democratically-elected and legitimate government that reflects the 
        will of the Afghan people is in the vital security interests of 
        Afghanistan, the United States, its partners in the NATO International 
        Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and Afghanistan's neighbors; and
Whereas one of the most critical milestones for Afghanistan's future stability 
        is a peaceful and credible transition of power through presidential 
        elections in 2014: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) affirms that the electoral process in Afghanistan 
        should be determined and led by Afghan actors, with support 
        from the international community, and should not be subject to 
        internal or external interference;
            (2) expresses its strong support for credible, inclusive, 
        and transparent presidential and provincial elections in April 
        2014;
            (3) urges the Government of Afghanistan to conduct the 
        elections in full accordance with the Constitution of 
        Afghanistan, to include maintaining the constitutionally-
        mandated allocation of seats for women's parliamentary 
        participation;
            (4) honors the sacrifice of United States, coalition, and 
        Afghan service members who have been killed or injured since 
        October 2001 in defense of the democratic rights of the Afghan 
        people;
            (5) recognizes the substantial investment made by the 
        United States taxpayers in support of stability, democracy, and 
        the rule of law in Afghanistan, including efforts to end public 
        corruption;
            (6) recognizes the commitment of the Government of 
        Afghanistan to hold presidential elections in 2014 and the 
        current president's commitment not to seek a third term;
            (7) recognizes that transparent and credible elections will 
        help safeguard the legitimacy of the next Afghan government and 
        will help prevent future violence by groups that may be ready 
        to contest a process perceived as rigged or dishonest;
            (8) recognizes that a democratically-elected and legitimate 
        government is important to ensuring the long term stability of 
        Afghanistan, as is the successful training and fielding of the 
        Afghan National Security Forces;
            (9) urges the Government of Afghanistan to respect and 
        support the independence and impartiality of the Independent 
        Electoral Commission (IEC) and the need for an independent and 
        impartial elections complaints mechanism with clear 
        jurisdiction over the final results, and urges all parties not 
        to interfere with their deliberations;
            (10) urges the Parliament of Afghanistan to pass 
        legislation that will establish a consultative and inclusive 
        process for appointing elections commissioners and allowing 
        election disputes to be resolved transparently and fairly;
            (11) urges the IEC to adopt measures to better mitigate 
        fraud, include marginalized groups, and improve electoral 
        transparency of the polling and counting process and 
        communicate these measures clearly and consistently to the 
        people of Afghanistan;
            (12) urges the Government of Afghanistan to support a 
        credible and effective electoral complaints mechanism whereby 
        its members are perceived as impartial, it is given the 
        ultimate authority on deciding whether a ballot or candidate is 
        disqualified, and it has the time and resources to do its work;
            (13) urges close and continuing communication between the 
        IEC and the Afghan National Security Forces to identify and 
        provide security for vulnerable areas of the country during the 
        election period;
            (14) urges the Afghan National Security Forces to make 
        every necessary effort to ensure the safety of voters and 
        candidates;
            (15) expresses its support for the full participation of 
        Afghan civil society in the election process;
            (16) urges the President of the United States to ensure 
        that all United States Government efforts in Afghanistan are 
        well-coordinated and are fully consistent with the American 
        taxpayers longstanding commitment to stability, democracy, and 
        the rule of law in Afghanistan, including efforts to end public 
        corruption; and
            (17) urges the Secretary of State to condition financial, 
        logistical, and political support for Afghanistan's 2014 
        elections based on the implementation of reforms in Afghanistan 
        including--
                    (A) increased efforts to encourage women's 
                participation in the electoral process, including 
                provisions to ensure their full access to and security 
                at polling stations;
                    (B) the implementation of measures to prevent 
                fraudulent registration and manipulation of the voting 
                or counting processes, including--
                            (i) establishment of processes to better 
                        control ballots;
                            (ii) vetting of and training for election 
                        officials; and
                            (iii) full accreditation of and access for 
                        international and domestic election observers; 
                        and
                    (C) prompt passage of legislation through the 
                Parliament of Afghanistan that codifies the authorities 
                and independence of the IEC and an independent and 
                impartial election complaints mechanism.
                                 <all>