[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 43 (Friday, April 7, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S2444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           DEMOCRACY IN PERU

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 478, S.J. Res. 
43.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 43) expressing the sense of 
     Congress that the President of the United States should 
     encourage free and fair elections and respect for democracy 
     in Peru.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the joint 
resolution.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I ask consent that an amendment to the resolution, 
which is at the desk, be agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3080) was agreed to, as follows:

       On page 2, beginning on line 7, strike the word ``modify'' 
     and all through the word ``Peru'' on line 9, and insert the 
     following: ``review and modify as appropriate its political, 
     economic, and military relations with Peru''.

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to especially thank Senator 
Coverdell, the resolution's chief sponsor, and Senator Helms, Senator 
DeWine, Senator Chafee, and Senator McConnell for their leadership and 
support.
  This is an extremely timely resolution which should send a clear 
message to the Peruvian Government and the Peruvian people that the 
United States cares deeply about the future of democracy in that 
country. It is my fervent hope that next week's presidential election 
in Peru is free and fair, but all indications from independent 
monitoring groups are that President Fujimori and his supporters have 
used every possible means to manipulate the electoral process. If the 
election is not deemed to be free and fair by independent observers, 
this resolution calls on the administration to review U.S. policy 
toward Peru and modify our political, economic and military relations 
accordingly.
  We have changed slightly the resolved clause in the resolution from 
the language that was originally introduced on March 28. Originally, 
the resolution stated that the U.S. should modify its relations with 
Peru, ``including its support for international financial institution 
loans to Peru,'' if the election is deemed to have been unfair. That 
language has been replaced with language calling on the U.S. to modify 
our ``political, economic and military relations'' with Peru.
  However, I want to emphasize that the phrase ``economic relations'' 
includes loans from the international financial institutions. I want to 
be sure that there is no misunderstanding or suggestion that by 
changing this language we have precluded the administration from 
modifying U.S. support for international loans, if the election is 
deemed to have been unfair and such action would be appropriate.
  I agreed to this change, both to include the phrase ``military 
relations'' since our military relations should also be reexamined and 
modified if appropriate, but also with the understanding that the 
phrase ``economic relations'' includes the entire spectrum of economic 
assistance, both from the United States directly and through the 
international financial institutions.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I further ask unanimous consent an amendment to the 
preamble, which is at the desk, be agreed to, and the preamble, as 
amended, be agreed to, the joint resolution be read a third time and 
passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any 
statements relating to this resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3081) was agreed to, as follows:

       In the preamble, in the second whereas clause, insert ``, 
     including the Organization of American States, the National 
     Democratic Institute, and the Carter Center,'' after 
     ``Whereas independent election monitors''.

  The joint resolution (S.J. Res. 43), as amended, was read the third 
time and passed, as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 43

       Whereas presidential and congressional elections are 
     scheduled to occur in Peru on April 9, 2000;
       Whereas independent election monitors, including the 
     Organization of American States, the National Democratic 
     Institute, and the Carter Center, have expressed grave doubts 
     about the fairness of the electoral process due to the 
     Peruvian Government's control of key official electoral 
     agencies, systematic restrictions on freedom of the press, 
     manipulation of the judicial processes to stifle independent 
     reporting on radio, television, and newspaper outlets, and 
     harassment and intimidation of opposition politicians, which 
     have greatly limited the ability of opposing candidates to 
     campaign freely; and
       Whereas the absence of free and fair elections in Peru 
     would constitute a major setback for the Peruvian people and 
     for democracy in the hemisphere, could result in instability 
     in Peru, and could jeopardize United States antinarcotics 
     objectives in Peru and the region: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That it is 
     the sense of Congress that the President of the United States 
     should promptly convey to the President of Peru that if the 
     April 9, 2000, elections are not deemed by the international 
     community to have been free and fair, the United States will 
     review and modify as appropriate its political, economic, and 
     military relations with Peru, and will work with other 
     democracies in this hemisphere and elsewhere toward a 
     restoration of democracy in Peru.

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