[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 27 (Wednesday, March 5, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H732-H735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING PEOPLE OF NICARAGUA ON DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS SUCCESS

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 18) congratulating the people of 
the Republic of Nicaragua on the success of their Democratic elections 
held on October 20, 1996.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 18

       Whereas on October 20, 1996, the people of the Republic of 
     Nicaragua held truly democratic, multiparty elections to 
     choose their government;
       Whereas these elections were deemed by international and 
     domestic observers to be free and fair and a legitimate 
     expression of the will of the people of the Republic of 
     Nicaragua;
       Whereas on January 10, 1997, Arnoldo Aleman was peacefully 
     sworn in to the office of President of the Republic of 
     Nicaragua and immediately promised to continue down the path 
     to democracy, national reconciliation and reconstruction that 
     are started by the previous administration of President 
     Violeta Barrios de Chamorro; and
       Whereas this historic event of democratic elections in the 
     Republic of Nicaragua and the inauguration of President 
     Arnoldo Aleman should be honored: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) congratulates the people of the Republic of Nicaragua 
     for the successful completion of the historic democratic, 
     multiparty elections held on October 20, 1996;
       (2) congratulates former President Violeta Barrios de 
     Chamorro for her personal courage and her commitment to 
     democracy, which have helped her achieve a profound political 
     and economic transition in the Republic of Nicaragua;
       (3) encourages all Nicaraguans to work together after 
     taking this critical step on the long road to lasting peace 
     and democracy;
       (4) recognizes that all Nicaraguans should continue to work 
     together in order to ensure a stable democracy, respect for 
     human rights, a free and market-oriented economy, and social 
     justice for all people;
       (5) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to help 
     the Republic of Nicaragua move toward freedom and democracy; 
     and
       (6) further reaffirms that the United States is strongly 
     committed to encouraging democracy and peaceful development 
     throughout the Western Hemisphere.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule the gentleman from

[[Page H733]]

New York [Mr. Gilman] and the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton] 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman].
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Houghton] the original sponsor of this 
resolution on Nicaragua.
  Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  I would like to rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 18. 
Mr. Speaker, we wrestle with problems both real and self-imposed in 
this Chamber day after day. It is nice for a change to be able to 
celebrate and to thank and to support one of our neighbors, which we 
are doing here not only with Guatemala but also now with Nicaragua.
  I would also like to associate myself with my chairman the gentleman 
from New York [Mr. Gilman], the gentleman from California [Mr. 
Gallegly], the gentleman from New York [Mr. Ackerman], the gentleman 
from North Carolina [Mr. Ballenger], and also with the gentleman from 
American Samoa [Mr. Faleomavaega], who have been cosponsors of this 
particular legislation.
  This resolution really does three things: First of all, it 
congratulates the Republic of Nicaragua on holding free and fair 
elections for the second time in its history. Second, it recognizes the 
contributions of an extraordinary woman, the former President of 
Nicaragua, Violeta Chamorro, a person I call the great healer, who has 
had an impact far beyond the borders of Nicaragua. It also celebrates 
the peaceful swearing in of the new President, President Arnoldo 
Aleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I have been associated with Nicaragua for several years. 
In 1988, a group of us from my district went down and established an 
educational program, all privately funded for this great country. I 
think we added a bit to the whole relationship between our countries at 
that time. This is before Violeta Chamorro was elected President.
  Then in 1990, we went down and were there for the election. It was an 
extraordinary time. As I mentioned yesterday at the Committee on 
International Relations meeting, I can remember, with Elliot 
Richardson, we were part of a United Nations team picking up a young 
woman and her baby who had walked 30 miles to vote and then was going 
to walk back, just because she felt this was such an important time.
  Then in 1993, my wife and my grandchildren and others went down there 
to see, personally and on a personal visit, this extraordinary country 
and what has happened to it.
  The Chamorro administration really did extraordinary things. I mean 
here is a lady who was not prepared for leadership. Her husband had 
been tragically assassinated there. All of a sudden she developed this 
tremendous rapport not only with the people but also with the critical 
issues there. The gross domestic product when she took over, after 20 
years, was lower than it had been in 1970. Hyperinflation of about 
40,000 percent, imagine, think of it, 40,000 percent a year. And the 
foreign debt amounted to more than six times the value of the total 
gross domestic product. Far-reaching privatization programs, preventive 
health care, primary education changes, and an extraordinary story in 
this tiny little country, all due to the leadership and this wonderful 
ambiance of an extraordinary lady, Violeta Chamorro.
  The election took place. Over 80 percent of the people voted. It was 
not a perfect election, but the observers, both elected representatives 
and staff, felt it was a free and fair election.
  Now, starting on January 10, there was a peaceful transition to 
President Aleman and the power of the presidency is now in good hands.

                              {time}  1145

  And so, Mr. Speaker, I would like to join with my colleagues and hope 
others will join with us in congratulating the people of this 
extraordinary nation of Nicaragua on the success of their elections and 
wishing President Aleman the best in the years to come.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Houghton] for his support of this resolution and for his poignant 
remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution, and I want 
to commend the gentleman from New York [Mr. Houghton] for introducing 
House Concurrent Resolution 18, it congratulates the Nicaraguans on 
their elections last October, and also extend my congratulations to the 
chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from California [Mr. 
Gallegly] and the ranking member, the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Ackerman]. I commend also the chairman, the gentleman from New York 
[Mr. Gilman], for moving it through the committee so that we could take 
it up here today.
  The October 1996 election was an exciting one for the Nicaraguans. In 
a country with an underdeveloped infrastructure and almost no 
transportation system, between 85 and 90 percent of the eligible voters 
participated. Not one but six ballots were cast in these elections, and 
for the first time a domestic election observation group oversaw 
Nicaraguan elections.
  The Nicaraguan people clearly stated they want to continue the 
democratic transition that was begun in 1990. They deserve to be 
congratulated for their relatively young democracy. I am pleased to 
support the resolution and I urge its adoption by the House.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Ackerman], the ranking member of the subcommittee.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, last fall the people of Nicaragua again 
chose the path of democracy by electing Liberal Alliance candidate 
Arnoldo Aleman decisively.
  In the wake of their second free and fair election of the 1990's, 
Nicaraguans must move just as decisively to consolidate democracy and 
strengthen their civil institutions.
  Nicaragua is on its way to recovery. With 3 years of economic growth, 
peace, and stability, the people of Nicaragua chose a candidate who 
emphasized economic reform and private sector-led growth as key planks 
in his platform. Nevertheless, President Aleman has his work cut out 
for him.
  Nicaragua continues to have a precarious balance-of-payment position 
and is heavily dependent upon foreign assistance. Although the economy 
has grown recently, the country remains very poor, with a per capita 
income of $470 per year.
  Strengthening the rule of law was a campaign theme of the President, 
and he inherits a court system that has become a bottleneck as problems 
of crime and property disputes have proliferated. It is imperative for 
Nicaragua to address this question if foreign investors are to have any 
confidence in Nicaragua's future.
  The United States and other donors have provided $4 billion to 
Nicaragua since 1990, and for the coming fiscal year USAID has 
requested an additional $22 million to deepen and expand the economic 
reforms and enhance the legitimacy of civil institutions.
  The international community must continue to work with the 
Nicaraguans to help them along the path to prosperity. I believe, Mr. 
Speaker, that this resolution will provide a measure of moral support 
to Nicaraguans and encourage them to continue on the road that they 
have chosen.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague from New York [Mr. 
Houghton] for sponsoring this resolution and his hard work and 
diligence in this area of the world; and also the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Gallegly], our chairman on the subcommittee, for 
putting this legislation through our body; as well as the gentleman 
from New York [Mr. Gilman], the chairman of the full committee; and the 
gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton], who serves as our leader on this 
side.
  I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
American Samoa [Mr. Faleomavaega].
  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, at the outset I would like to first 
express my appreciation to the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr.

[[Page H734]]

Ballenger] for the opportunity he extended me to join a congressional 
delegation visiting our neighboring countries in the Central American 
region. It certainly has been a real educational experience for me to 
see how beautiful democracy works in these countries that we visited, 
including Nicaragua.
  As a cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 18, I certainly would 
like to commend our good friend the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Houghton] as the chief sponsor of this legislation; and also the 
chairman of our full committee, the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Gilman]; and the gentleman from California [Mr. Gallegly] as chairman 
of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
  I am also grateful to our senior ranking Democratic member of the 
full committee, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton] for being a 
chief sponsor also of this legislation; and our good friend, the 
ranking member of our subcommittee, the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Ackerman].
  Mr. Speaker, I had the honor of visiting Nicaragua on January 10 for 
the inauguration of President Aleman. It was clear the people of 
Nicaragua are dedicated to the principles of democracy. The election 
was a success. Domestic and international observers declared them to be 
free and fair, and it was certainly a true expression of the desires of 
the voters and the people of Nicaragua.
  It was a large voter turnout--the kind that we dream about having in 
the United States. The attempts by the opponents of the democratic 
process to sully the results of the process were unsuccessful.
  I am also pleased, Mr. Speaker, by the development of institutions in 
Nicaragua that will help consolidate that country's democratic system. 
The Supreme Electoral Commission has successfully conducted a number of 
free and fair elections. For the first time there is a civilian Defense 
Ministry, run by a civilian Minister of Defense.
  This is an exciting and critical time for the country of Nicaragua, 
and I am pleased that we are taking this opportunity to support this 
democratic country.
  There are still many challenges for the Nicaraguans to overcome, 
however. It remains the second poorest country in the Western 
Hemisphere, and it faces an enormous challenge in resolving its 
property problems. The Nicaraguans have chosen to address these 
problems as a democracy, and that is a giant--and commendable--first 
step.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to show their support for this 
government by adopting this resolution commending the Government of 
Nicaragua for this milestone achievement.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Deutsch].
  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to also rise 
in support of this resolution. I had the honor and distinction of being 
able to travel to Nicaragua as an observer for the elections, and it 
was an experience that will have an impact on me for the rest of my 
life, to see the level of commitment, in terms of democratic process, 
in a country which was just described as a poor country in economics 
but not in spirit or in hope.
  In our country, our turnout for elections is arguably only about 30 
percent, if we include unregistered voters. Nicaragua's turnout in the 
election was anywhere between 85 and 90 percent of eligible voters--85 
to 90 percent. And in part of the country people literally had to walk 
a day to vote. Over 50 percent of the country really does not have 
electricity, does not have a road system, by any comparison to anything 
in the United States, where people literally had to walk a day to vote, 
a day in one direction or several, 8, 10, 12, 14 hours in one 
direction, 14 hours in another direction. And they did it.
  As has been described, Mr. Speaker, we are living in really a golden 
age of democracy in the Western Hemisphere, an age that seemed 
unprecedented or impossible a decade or two ago. Nicaragua is a shining 
example of that success. And the involvement of the Nicaraguan-American 
community throughout America, but particularly in south Florida, as 
part of that process, I think, has been very positive.
  Again, I think this Congress is looking forward to working hand-in-
hand with the new administration in Nicaragua towards a redevelopment 
of the country, to strengthen it and to assure that its economic and 
democratic systems will continue for all times.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from California [Mr. Torres].
  Mr. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the promoters of this resolution, 
the gentleman from New York [Mr. Houghton]; obviously thank the two 
chairmen, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], and the gentleman 
from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton], for moving this forward.
  I remember in great anguish what this House went through many years 
ago as we were witnesses to that great civil war in Nicaragua. For so 
many years many of us had followed the impact that that had upon those 
people.
  I was also an observer, Mr. Speaker, to the elections in 1990. For 
the first time the Government of Nicaragua, then led by Sandinistas, 
had an orderly transfer of power to the government of Mrs. Chamorro. I 
think we saw history taking place at that time.
  So often we condemn nations for their prosecution, for their 
persecution, for the oppression that they have caused to their 
citizens, to their many people, because they have been led by 
dictatorships, by tyrants. I am happy today to acknowledge the new 
government of Mr. Aleman, the new democratic elections that have taken 
place there. I commend that government, and I want to say how important 
it has been for our country to have been a part of that.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we thank our friend, the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Houghton], for sponsoring House Concurrent Resolution 18, commending 
the Nicaraguan people for their democratic elections and peaceful 
transition of power, and I am pleased to have been included as an 
original cosponsor of this measure.
  I also want to thank the ranking minority member, the gentleman from 
Indiana [Mr. Hamilton], and the ranking subcommittee member, the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Ackerman], for their support of the 
measure.
  Fifteen years ago, Central America, as we know it, was in turmoil, 
and at that time our Nation paid a great deal of attention to the 
region and invested extraordinary sums of money to try to bolster the 
democratic governments. Now we see a region living in peace and 
democracy. The American public can rightfully claim a great deal of 
credit for supporting our neighbors in their hour of need.
  All of us will certainly acknowledge that the Central American people 
themselves deserve the utmost credit for an extraordinary democratic 
transition. In House Concurrent Resolution 18, the House recognizes the 
significant accomplishments achieved by the Nicaraguan people since the 
transition to the democratically elected government of President 
Violeta Barrios de Chamorro on April 20, 1990.
  The climate of free expression has improved dramatically since the 
routine repression during the Sandinista regime. Nicaragua's national 
assembly is operating vigorously as a truly representative body. 
Political parties and civic groups are active there. Spirited public 
debate on political and economic policy has been unhindered.
  In October 1996, as the gentleman from New York indicated, 80 percent 
of Nicaraguans participated in national elections. These citizens 
freely elected a new president and a vice president, national assembly 
members, mayors and city councils. On January 10 power was transferred 
peacefully from one democratically elected civilian government to 
another.
  Like his remarkable predecessor, President Arnoldo Aleman is 
committed to democracy, to respect for human rights, and to a free 
market economy. In short, Nicaragua has made great strides toward 
overcoming a history of dictatorship and civil war, and we are 
encouraged by President Aleman's strong commitment to policies aimed at 
revitalizing the agricultural sector, attracting foreign investment, 
and addressing chronic unemployment and

[[Page H735]]

poverty that still exists, particularly in the rural regions of past 
conflict.
  We support his efforts to ensure that property rights are going to be 
fully respected in Nicaragua. We are also encouraged by his actions to 
ensure that a nonpartisan police force and a professional army will 
answer to civilian authority.
  Mr. Speaker, by adopting this resolution, the House will recognize 
the historic contributions made by President Violeta Chamorro. Her 
tireless efforts to resist and overturn dictatorship make her a giant 
figure in our time. I am proud that the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Houghton] has chosen to commend President Chamorro in his resolution as 
well.
  Once again, I thank the gentleman from New York for this resolution. 
We also thank our colleague from California [Mr. Gallegly] for his work 
as chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

                              {time}  1200

  Mr. Speaker, I also wish to acknowledge the good work of the 
gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Ballenger] for his work in Central 
America over several decades. The commitment of the gentleman from 
North Carolina [Mr. Ballenger] and his full partner, Mrs. Donna 
Ballenger, recognizes that peace and prosperity in Central America 
results in concrete benefits here at home.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ewing). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, House 
Concurrent Resolution 18.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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