[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        REPORT FROM EL SALVADOR

  (Mr. MEEHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute, and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I just returned from El Salvador, where I 
was an official observer in this weekend's elections. I was impressed 
by the fact that parties from across the political spectrum cooperated 
closely at the polling places I visited. The absence of violence was 
remarkable considering that they were fighting each other in a bitter 
civil war only 2 years ago.
  There were, however, problems with the elections. An undetermined 
number of voters never received registration cards, and I saw many 
people turned away from the polls because their names did not appear on 
official lists even though they had voting cards.
  These administrative snafus are especially troubling because of their 
disparate impact on the opposition. The likelihood of a runoff presents 
an opportunity to straighten out procedural problems. We should press 
for better organization and a complete review of the electoral registry 
before the final election.
  The United States should also press for full implementation of the 
peace accords, including land transfers, reform of the judicial system, 
and the resolution of investigations into political violence. El 
Salvador has come a long way fast, but we have an obligation to help 
avoid a slide back into chaos.

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