[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 138 (Tuesday, October 6, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H9653-H9654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INDEPENDENT AND FREE ELECTIONS IN SLOVAKIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I come before the House this evening to talk 
very briefly about a great European leader, Alexander Dubcek, and also 
to talk about the Slovak elections. Recently, in Slovakia, we had the 
opportunity, after a thousand years, to witness free and independent 
elections. As some may know, Slovakia gained its freedom some 5 years 
ago and independence as a free nation in the Western European host of 
nations. In the last few weeks Slovakia has had the opportunity to 
elect for the first time representatives to their government that 
potentially will allow a true, free, honest government for that nation.
  In the past years, there has been some conflict, there have been some 
problems in Slovakia, and in an election, which was a record by all 
Western democratic standards, 85 percent of the Slovaks turned out to 
cast their ballot. They decided to make a change in government, an 
important change in Slovakia, and it is very important to the Congress 
and to the Western world the

[[Page H9654]]

change that took place in that free and open election. They decided 
that they would form a new government and, again, create an opportunity 
for that country, which has had a thousand years of oppression, to be 
free and independent. Once again Slovakia will form a Western-leaning 
government.
  My grandfather was a Slovak American immigrant, and I know the 
oppression that that country has seen with domination not only by the 
Nazis, not only by Russia and Stalin, not only under its own communist 
regime. Even as part of the Czech Republic they did not have the 
opportunity to be a free and independent nation.
  So today we celebrate a free, independent election, the potential to 
continue as a free and independent nation, and Western-leaning 
democracy. Because of its importance, Slovakia, which juts out into the 
west between Hungary and the Czech Republic now has an opportunity to 
participate as a full partner in NATO, in the European Union and as a 
Western partner.
  The world has seen many great leaders from Slovakia, and I know great 
leaders will emerge from this coalition that is to be formed in the new 
government.
  Alexander Dubcek, a Slovak, in 1968, led the revolution, the 
revolution that was oppressed by Soviet tanks that trampled Slovakia. 
Now, for the first time, that country has an opportunity to be new, to 
have a new ``Spring'' of freedom. That revolution has been known as the 
``Prague Spring'' but it was really the ``Dubcek Spring,'' sprung from 
the heart of a native Slovkian.
  So we as Americans, we as Members of Congress, we as Slovak 
Americans, salute these free and independent elections. This bright new 
opportunity for freedom, the standard that was set by Alexander Dubcek, 
can now rise, and the Soviet domination of the past is behind us; the 
Nazi domination and a thousand years of oppression are behind us. A 
bright future for Slovakia is before us.
  I come to the floor as a Slovak American, as an American, as a Member 
of Congress, to salute the Slovak people on their great accomplishment, 
their new opportunity for freedom and independence and express my hope 
and prayers for a new government that will work closely and participate 
with other Western Democracies.

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