[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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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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