[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10728-H10730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CALLING FOR FREE AND TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS IN GABON

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 518) calling for free and transparent elections in 
Gabon, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 518

       Whereas Gabon is a heavily forested and oil-rich country on 
     central Africa's west coast;
       Whereas Gabon gained independence from France in 1960;
       Whereas the Government of Gabon is involved in ongoing 
     efforts to mediate regional conflicts;
       Whereas Gabon is scheduled to hold national elections in 
     December 1998 for the purpose of electing a President;
       Whereas Gabon was subject to single-party rule until 1990;
       Whereas the International Foundation for Election Systems 
     (IFES) and the Africa America Institute (AAI) served as 
     observers

[[Page H10729]]

     during the organization of the 1993 Presidential and 
     legislative elections in Gabon and found widespread electoral 
     irregularities;
       Whereas the Government of Gabon is a signatory to the 
     ``Paris Accords'' of 1994, approved by national referendum in 
     July 1995, which provides for a state of law guaranteeing 
     basic individual freedoms and the organization of free and 
     fair elections under a new independent national election 
     commission;
       Whereas the people of Gabon have demonstrated their support 
     for the democratic process through the formation of numerous 
     political parties since 1990 and their strong participation 
     in prior elections; and
       Whereas it is in the interest of the United States to 
     promote political and economic freedom in Africa and 
     throughout the world: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes and commends the Government of Gabon's 
     ongoing efforts to resolve central African conflicts;
       (2) recognizes and commends those Gabonese who have 
     demonstrated their love for free and fair elections;
       (3) commends the Gabonese Government for inviting IFES to 
     perform a pre-election assessment study;
       (4) calls on the Gabonese Government--
       (A) to take further measures to help ensure a credible 
     election and to ensure that the election commission remains 
     independent and impartial; and
       (B) to further welcome IFES, the National Democratic 
     Institute, the International Republican Institute, or other 
     appropriate international nongovernmental organizations to 
     aid the organization and oversight of, the December 1998 
     Presidential election in Gabon, in an effort to ensure that 
     these elections in Gabon are free and fair;
       (5) urges the Government of Gabon to take all necessary and 
     lawful steps toward conducting free and fair elections;
       (6) calls on the international community to join the United 
     States in offering their assistance toward conducting free 
     and fair elections in Gabon;
       (7) urges the United States Government to continue to 
     provide support directly and through appropriate 
     nongovernmental organizations to aid the organization of free 
     and fair elections in Gabon; and
       (8) urges the United States Government and the 
     international community to continue to encourage the 
     Government of Gabon to ensure a lasting and committed 
     transition to democracy.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution, very appropriately, calls for free and 
transparent elections in Gabon, the election of which in 1993 was 
marred by serious irregularities according to the State Department's 
human rights report.

                              {time}  1330

  The emergence of genuine democracy in Gabon would help stabilize the 
rest of Central Africa, a region which has suffered great instability 
in recent days. And I want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Hastings) for introducing this resolution and for working with the rest 
of the members of our Subcommittee on Africa in coming up with language 
that everyone can support.
  In addition, the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), chairman of 
our Subcommittee on Africa, has played an important role in bringing 
everyone together on this resolution, for which he deserves our thanks.
  Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support this worthy measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I offer this resolution today to support and strengthen 
democracy and democratic forces in Gabon.
  First, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Chairman 
Gilman) and the gentleman from California (Chairman Royce) of the 
Subcommittee on Africa for expediting this measure and working with us 
to ensure that we could get this before the House before we exit today 
or tomorrow or whenever.
  I would like to thank the distinguished gentleman from California 
(Mr. Royce) because he has been conscientious in more ways than one; 
not just about Gabon, but about all of Africa and the concerns of the 
Committee on International Relations.
  Mr. Speaker, Gabon is well positioned to move forward to a stable and 
democratic nation. With a per capita income that is three times that of 
most nations of sub-Saharan Africa, a relatively high literacy rate, 
and a billion dollar oil industry, Gabon possesses all the necessary 
components for true democracy. However, despite these positive 
attributes, Gabon's elections have not always been transparent because 
of poor organization and poor execution.
  While I commend the Government of Gabon for its ongoing efforts to 
resolve conflicts in Central Africa, I personally would like to 
encourage that government to take further steps in ensuring that the 
December presidential election is credible and that the commission 
remains independent and impartial.
  This resolution gives the people of Gabon a chance to participate in 
free and fair presidential elections in December. It also calls on the 
international community to join the United States Government in 
offering their assistance toward conducting free and fair elections in 
Gabon, and urges the United States Government to continue to provide 
support, directly and through appropriate non-governmental 
organizations, toward free and fair elections in that nation.
  Mr. Speaker, the Gabonese people have demonstrated their strong 
support for freedom and democracy through their participation in 
previous elections. Thus, I believe it is incumbent upon us as leaders 
of democracy to help the forces of freedom in Gabon institute true 
democracy.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Hastings) for his eloquent support of this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), chairman of our Subcommittee on 
Africa.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I want to lend my support to this resolution, 
and I want to commend the work of its author, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Hastings) my subcommittee colleague, as well as the other 
members of the Subcommittee on Africa who have worked on it.
  This is a balanced resolution that sends a loud and clear message 
that the United States cares about democracy in Gabon. This is a 
country with which we have growing commercial ties, and it says that we 
are prepared to support democracy there.
  This resolution points out some of the achievements of the 
government's democratic transition, and it points out some of the 
shortcomings, calling for the U.S. to help improve these conditions.
  Ultimately, though, democracy is the responsibility of the Gabonese 
people. The government and democratic opposition will have to continue 
their work together so that fair and free elections are held and so 
that democratic aspirations are met. This resolution says that we care 
about these aspirations and are willing to help.
  Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell), a member of our Subcommittee 
on Africa.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Gilman) for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the work of the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce), our chairman, in bringing this to the floor, 
along with the gentleman from New York (Chairman Gilman), and the work 
of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), my good friend and 
colleague who authored this resolution and who brought this issue to 
our attention, and with whom I am honored to play a subordinate role, 
but still a partnership role.

[[Page H10730]]

  The resolution is well worth the time and concern of the American 
people. The purpose of the resolution is to make the message clear to 
the people of Gabon that the United States stands with them. We do not 
stand with any particular outcome of the election; we stand with the 
democratic process so that the people of Gabon might be free to express 
their preference in the process.
  Secondly, to our good friend and long-time ally, the people of 
France, we wish to encourage them to encourage the democratic outcome. 
I view France as having a tremendous potential to doing good in Africa.
  All we can accomplish, to be realistic, is to let the world know that 
we care, we do not turn ourselves away from the peoples of Africa, 
particularly at times when they are attempting a democratic resolution 
to the problems that have surfaced since they have come out of the Cold 
War period.
  Gabon's democratic election, which we anticipate coming up this 
December, will be viewed by us with great interest. Those of us who 
devote our attention to African matters in this body will have a much 
easier time of convincing our colleagues to assist the peoples of 
Africa if that election goes as fairly and fully democratically as 
possible.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Campbell) for his intensive and extensive support of democracy in 
Africa, his continuing support, and for his eloquent remarks in support 
of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), a member of our Committee on International 
Relations.
  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Gilman) for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to first of all say that exactly what was said by 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell) is the goal here. It is 
not a specific result of the process, but it is the process.
  And as the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) has advanced this 
resolution, it is a resolution that hopes to see in this country, and 
in other countries in Africa, what we have seen over so much of the 
world in the last decade.
  This truly, Mr. Speaker, been an extraordinary decade for democracy. 
In the last debate we heard about the democracy in Slovakia. We could 
talk about democracy in country after country in Eastern Europe. We 
could certainly talk about an incredible change in South America and in 
Central America in the last decade as democracy has held sway time and 
time again.
  We need to stand for that same process in Africa. We need to stand 
not in opposition to any result or in favor of any result, but in favor 
of democracy. We need to stand as a beacon, as we have to so many other 
countries in the world, of support in their efforts to have the kind of 
freedom that is only possible with a true democratic process.
  As the country of Gabon approaches what we hope will be a fair and 
free and open election in December, followed by what we hope will be 
the implementation of the results of that election, I just want to 
encourage my colleagues to support the resolution, and to thank the 
gentleman from New York (Chairman Gilman) for all he has done in this 
Congress to encourage democracy all over the world, and to thank the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) for bringing this resolution 
forward.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Blunt) for his extensive work on our Committee on International 
Relations, and for his continued interest in bringing democracy to 
countries throughout the world.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I merely wish to thank our cosponsors of this measure. The gentleman 
from California (Mr. Campbell) has spoken, but he did extraordinary 
work in ensuring that we were able to expedite this resolution. I would 
like to mention the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Dixon), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Chabot), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson), the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Sanford) and the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. McKinney) 
and thank them for their assistance as well.
  Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of our time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this may be the last suspension bill that our committee 
will be bringing to the floor this year, and I wanted to take this 
opportunity to thank the leadership, our floor staffs, the cloakroom 
staffs, the Clerk's staff, especially in the Office of Legislative 
Operations, our stenographers and transcribers, and finally the 
parliamentarians for their many acts of assistance to our committee as 
we moved legislation during the past 2 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the members of our committee, the 
staffs of the members, and the committee staff on both sides for their 
dedication and cooperation that we have had over the past 2 years.
  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 518.
  Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to travel to Gabon recently with 
the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Archer, and the gentleman from Tennessee, 
Mr. Tanner. While there, we met with President Bongo and learned first-
hand of the changes that have been made over the past eight years. In 
1990, responding to popular demands, President Bongo convened a 
National Conference to institute major political reforms. A new 
constitution was approved by participants from over 70 political 
parties and organizations as the first step away from single-party 
rule. Also in that year, the first multi-party elections were held, and 
opposition parties won 45% of the 120 seats in the National Assembly. 
Since 1990, a firm foundation for Gabon's democracy has been laid.
  I am pleased that the International Foundation for Electoral Systems 
has a team in Gabon as I speak, conducting a pre-election assessment of 
the presidential elections to be held in December. I wish to recognize 
the cooperation of the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Archer, the gentleman 
from Tennessee, Mr. Tanner, the gentleman from New York, Mr. Gilman, 
the gentleman from California, Mr. Royce, and Dr. Susan Rice, Assistant 
Secretary of State for Africa, in obtaining funding for this assessment 
team.
  While in Gabon, I also witnessed the struggle for conserving the 
scarce natural resources of the rainforest and its inhabitants. In a 
step toward conscientious stewardship of Gabon's natural resources, the 
first national park of Gabon was recently established as a reserve for 
orphaned young gorillas. President Bongo has made a public commitment 
toward responsible use of natural resources, including the 
establishment of guidelines for the appropriate harvesting of Gabon's 
oil resources for trade on the local and international market. It is 
evident that much progress has been made toward positive economic, 
ecological, and political development in Gabon.
  President Omar Bongo is to be commended for his efforts to establish 
democracy in the tumultuous region of Central Africa. To this end, my 
recent experiences and discussions have impressed upon me the 
importance of a free, fair, and transparent presidential campaign and 
election to stabilize Gabon's fragile, new democracy.
  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. Shimkus). 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 resolution, H. Res. 518, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the 
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a 
quorum is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on the motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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