[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 59 (Monday, May 15, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H2986-H2988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMENDING THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA FOR CONDUCT OF ITS PARLIAMENTARY AND 
                         PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 251) commending the Republic of 
Croatia for the conduct of its parliamentary and presidential 
elections, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 251

       Whereas the fourth Croatian parliamentary elections, held 
     on January 3, 2000, marked Croatia's progress toward meeting 
     its commitments as a participating state of the Organization 
     on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and as a member 
     of the Council of Europe;
       Whereas Croatia's third presidential elections were 
     conducted smoothly and professionally and concluded on 
     February 7, 2000, with the landslide election of Stipe Mesic 
     as the new President of the Republic of Croatia;
       Whereas the free and fair elections in Croatia, and the 
     following peaceful and orderly transfer of power from the old 
     government to the new, is an example of democracy to the 
     people of other nations in the region and a major 
     contribution to the democratic development of southeastern 
     Europe; and
       Whereas the people of Croatia have made clear that they 
     want Croatia to take its rightful place in the family of 
     European democracies and to develop a closer and more 
     constructive relationship with the Euro-Atlantic community of 
     democratic nations: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
       (1) the people of the Republic of Croatia are to be 
     congratulated on the successful elections and the outgoing 
     Government of Croatia is to be commended for the democratic 
     standards with which it managed the elections;
       (2) the United States should support the efforts of the new 
     Government of Croatia to increase its work on refugee return, 
     privatization reform, accession to the World Trade 
     Organization, media reform, and further cooperation with the 
     International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) 
     to set an example to other countries in the region;
       (3) the Congress strongly supports Croatia's commitment to 
     western democratic standards and will give its full support 
     to the new Government of Croatia to fully implement 
     democratic reforms;
       (4) the United States continues to promote Croatian-
     American economic, political, and military relations and 
     welcomes Croatia as a partner in the cause of stability and 
     democratization in south central Europe;
       (5) the United States and the Republic of Croatia should 
     work to establish a strategic partnership to include 
     Croatia's entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's 
     Partnership for Peace; and
       (6) the countries of the European Union should develop 
     closer relations with Croatia and, in particular, should help 
     to expedite Croatia's accession into global and regional 
     trade organizations, including the World Trade Organization.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)


                             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 this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, this resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 
251, was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Radanovich). It is timely and appropriate. The people of Croatia 
have suffered through too many years of warfare, destruction, ethnic 
strife, and economic stagnation.
  As this resolution points out, the elections held recently from the 
Croatian parliament and the Croatian presidency were indeed conducted 
in a fair, free, and Democratic manner, by all accounts that we have 
received. Just as important, however, is the fact that those elections 
brought to power a government that appears intent on moving Croatia 
forward in all respects.
  I therefore believe and agree with the sponsor of the resolution that 
it would be worthwhile for the Congress to show its support at this 
time for the new government in the form of this resolution. The new 
Croatian government will face challenges in opening up its economy and 
in finding ways to make certain that its support for ethnic Croats in 
neighboring Bosnia does not lead Croatia to undermine the sovereignty 
of that state.
  It is going to face serious challenges in other areas as well. This 
resolution will make it clear that the success in meeting those 
challenges should be met by American and European support for Croatia's 
full entry into the Pan American and trans-Atlantic community of 
nations.
  I am pleased to note that Croatia has been invited just last week, 
Mr. Speaker, to join NATO's Partnership for Peace program. In that 
manner, the new Croatian government's good intentions are receiving 
important recognition.
  This resolution will serve as another important signal of our support 
as Croatia's new government moves to fulfill its intentions, and will 
serve to highlight our hopes for Croatia's future success. I am 
optimistic that Croatia's days of warfare and destruction are over. We 
are hopeful that Croatia will now enter a stage of stability and 
prosperity.
  Now is the time for Croatia to build its new democratic future. This 
resolution points to that fact and congratulates the Croatian people 
for so clearly choosing the path of democracy in their recent 
elections.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the adoption of this 
important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in strong support of this resolution, Mr. Speaker. Just as the 
committee takes the time to criticize the outcome of election results 
that produce controversial governments, it also produces resolutions 
which commend the results of positive elections, such as the recent 
elections in Croatia in February.

[[Page H2987]]

  The results of recent elections in Croatia have been described as 
some of the best news to emerge from the Balkans since the Dayton 
accords were signed 4 years ago.
  The first elections to follow the death of Croatia's longtime leader 
saw Croatians turn out in large numbers to elect reformers promising to 
steer Croatia towards a more moderate internationalist path.
  United States policymakers are optimistic that positive ripples from 
the wake of this election will bode well for American interests 
throughout the region. A new reform-minded, Western-leaning coalition 
scored a comprehensive victory on the January 3 parliamentary 
elections, securing 71 seats while the HDZ won just 40.
  On the heels of the parliamentary election, the February 7 race for 
president saw a battle of two reformers. During the campaign, the 
newly-elected president promised that he would be the opposite of his 
predecessor in everything. He said, ``Where he was autocratic, I will 
be democratic; where he was nationalistic, I will be pro-European.''
  It is important to note that the United States' pro-democracy 
assistance to Croatia helped lay the foundation for this historic 
election. USAID's 5-year commitment to strengthening a broad spectrum 
of political parties and advocacy groups culminated in a 148-NGO 
coalition of trade unions and small business groups teamed for a wide-
scale ``get out the vote'' campaign of media and face-to-face citizen 
outreach.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich), the sponsor of this 
resolution.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time 
to me and allowing me to speak on this important resolution before the 
House today.
  On June 15 of this year, I introduced House Concurrent Resolution 
251, commending the Republic of Croatia for the successful conduct of 
its parliamentary and presidential elections.
  The free and fair elections in Croatia and the beautiful and orderly 
transfer of power from the old to the new government is an example of 
democracy to the people of other nations in the region, and a major 
contribution to the democratic development of Southeastern Europe.
  President Mesic has pledged to bring his country into the European 
Union in 5 years. Even if this is an ambitious goal, he is to be 
commended. President Mesic has promised and has in fact undertaken 
concrete steps to end interference in Bosnia, to welcome returning Serb 
refugees, and to cooperate with the international court in pursuing 
alleged Croatian war criminals. He has also promised further 
privatization and media reform.
  Although president Mesic and his new government face many many 
difficulties, I am very optimistic that Croatia is on a new path. I am 
hopeful we will do our utmost to encourage them on this path.
  My resolution also calls for U.S. support and facilitation of 
Croatia's goals for membership in NATO's Partnership for Peace program 
and its accession to the World Trade Organization. I firmly believe 
that by supporting Croatia's membership in PfP and its accession to the 
WTO, we will not only be making a sound investment in the future 
security of Southeast Europe, but we will also be sending a clear 
message to other countries in the region of the benefits that come from 
choosing a democratic path.
  Croatia was a tremendous ally to us last year during the Kosovo 
conflict, and as far as I am concerned, they have more than 
demonstrated their loyalty to the United States.
  In my opinion, their membership in the Partnership for Peace program 
has already been earned and is long overdue. There is no question that 
we need a trustworthy ally in Southeast Europe, where we have spent an 
exorbitant amount of time and money. Croatia is that trustworthy ally, 
and I want to honor this country, its leaders, and its people here 
today.
  I believe this is a very important resolution, and I urge my 
colleagues to vote favorably.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), the distinguished chairman of 
our Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
  (Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I will begin by thanking the gentleman 
from New York (Chairman Gilman) for yielding time to me. I am pleased 
that he expedited the consideration of this important resolution which 
I rise to support.
  This resolution, offered by our distinguished colleague from 
California (Mr. Radanovich), certainly deserves our full support, for 
it recognizes what the Republic of Croatia has done in the conduct of 
its recent parliamentary and presidential elections.
  Since the fall of communism in 1991, Croatia has now completed its 
fourth parliamentary election and its third presidential election. I 
would also give note of what the gentleman from New York (Chairman 
Gilman) has mentioned, that on May 9 the North Atlantic Council 
extended an invitation to Croatia to become the 26th member of NATO's 
Partnership for Peace.
  The Partnership for Peace, or PfP, serves as an important program for 
fostering security and stability in Europe through military 
cooperation.
  I also serve as the chairman of the House delegation to the NATO 
Parliamentary Assembly, and I would mention that the NATO Parliamentary 
Assembly has noted the progress in Croatia in its turn towards 
democracy. It is my expectation that Croatia will soon be offered 
associate membership status because of that action.
  This Member believes that Croatia rightfully earned the invitation to 
PfP as that country has served as an important ally to NATO, as 
demonstrated during the recent conflict in Kosovo.

                              {time}  1545

  Croatia provided crucial airspace and port access during the NATO 
operations. Croatia's commitment to stability in southeastern Europe is 
further demonstrated by the active cooperation it has provided in 
enforcing the Dayton Accord and in implementing the International 
Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia.
  Perhaps Croatia's most important contribution, however, has been 
contribution to stability in this volatile neighborhood by the example 
that it set in its successful transfer of political power through 
democratic means, such as the recent elections.
  Mr. Speaker, as this Member concludes, I would say, again, I want to 
commend the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) 
for his initiative in offering this timely resolution which recognizes 
the very significant and welcome progress in Croatia, which should 
serve to encourage Croatia on this path.
  I urge strong support for H. Con. Res. 251.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the Commission 
on Security and Cooperation in Europe--the Helsinki Commission--I fully 
support this resolution.
  Ten years ago, a waive of political pluralism swept East-Central 
Europe, including Croatia and the other republics of the former 
Yugoslavia. Multi-party elections and open expression of political 
views allowed those unhappy with the existing Yugoslav federation to 
work for change in their government. Unfortunately but not 
unexpectedly, nationalism was a strong part of this effort, in part to 
enhance the power of certain leaders and the ruling circles around 
them. That is exactly what Franjo Tudjman and his Croatian Democratic 
Community, or HDZ, did in Croatia.
  The people of Croatia wanted change, including independence, and they 
had to endure hardships for it. First, the 1991 conflict left thousands 
dead and hundreds of thousands displaced as Serb militants occupied 
major portions of the country. The retaking of this territory in 1995 
led to further displacements. Subsequently, until 1999 those in power 
in Croatia fanned the flames of nationalism, evident not only in the 
unwillingness to allow Serbs from Croatia to return, but in the 
efforts, sometimes violent, to form a Croatian enclave in neighboring 
Bosnia-Herzegovina. For Those who disagree with this nationalist 
approach, the authorities marginalized them with controls on society, 
especially in the media.
  As Croatian citizens grew confident in their country's independence 
and stability, however,

[[Page H2988]]

they opted not for nationalism, isolation and corruption, but for 
democracy, tolerance and economic progress. They had enough of the 
past; they wanted to move forward. This was reflected in the strong 
turnout for the parliamentary and presidential elections held earlier 
this year, and in the results of those elections.
  Croatia has now been accepted as a member of NATO's Partnership for 
Peace. It is moving forward in its quest to be integrated fully into 
European affairs. The prospects for the return of displaced Serbs 
originally from Croatia has increased, along with cooperation with the 
International Tribunal prosecuting war crimes and the international 
community's regional efforts as a whole.
  As I have been critical of developments in Croatia in the past, now I 
must join those who welcome the progress that has fully been made. We 
should, of course, monitor the situation closely, to make sure the 
promises made by the new Croatian leadership are kept. At the same 
time, we should also encourage Croatia by acknowledging positive 
movement when we see it.
  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 251, a 
resolution commending the Republic of Croatia for the conduct of its 
Parliamentary and Presidential elections, introduced by my colleague on 
the International Relations Committee, Mr. Radanovich of California. I 
am proud to be a co-sponsor of this important resolution.
  This resolution commends the Republic of Croatia for the conduct of 
its recent parliamentary and presidential elections and calls for the 
United States to support Croatian efforts on compliance with the Dayton 
Peace Accords. It also supports membership for Croatia in the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization's Partnership for Peace (PFP) program and 
its accession into the World Trade Organization.
  Recent developments regarding Croatia's membership in PFP underscore 
the good timing of this resolution. Last Wednesday, NATO approved 
Croatia's bid to join the PFP program, a move strongly supported by the 
United States. NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson explained 
``Croatia has now become an example for its neighbors and an 
inspiration for moderate forces throughout the region. By promoting 
peace and stability in the Balkans, Croatia has won its place in the 
Euro-Atlantic family.''
  The results of recent elections in Croatia have been described as 
some of the best news to emerge from the Balkans since the Dayton 
Accords were signed four years ago. The first elections to follow the 
death of longtime leader Franco Tudjman saw Croatians turn out in large 
numbers to elect reformers promising to steer Croatia towards a more 
moderate, internationalist path. U.S. policymakers are optimistic that 
positive ripples from the wake of this election will bode well for 
American interests throughout the region.
  Many observers saw the elections as a measuring stick as to how weary 
Croatians had grown with economic stagnation, authoritarian leadership, 
and perceived corruption within the hardline ruling party, the HDZ. 
Nonetheless, the sweeping change of the political landscape surprised 
even many of those who has expressed optimism in advance of elections. 
A new reform-minded, western-leaning coalition headed by Ivica Racan 
scored a comprehensive victory in the January 3rd parliamentary 
elections--securing 71 seats while the HDZ won just 40. On the heels of 
the parliamentary election, the February 7th race for President saw 
Stipe Mesic prevail in a battle of two reformers. During the campaign, 
Mesic had promised that he would ``be the opposite of Tudjman in 
everything. Where he was autocratic I shall be democratic. Where he was 
nationalist, I'll be pro European.''
  It is now apparent that many Croats who had supported Tudjman's 
unyielding leadership after the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia 
and the fierce battle between Croatia and Serbia that ensued, now voted 
to signal the end of that era. Fueling this need for change was a 
growing resentment among the Croatian people towards a corrupt HDZ 
party perceived to be more interested in patronage and insider deals 
than managing an economy where export had stagnated and a $9 billion 
external debt had accumulated.
  In addition to an improving bilateral climate with Zagreb, we hope 
that the change of government in Croatia may create a dynamic for 
change in the region. On the issue of Bosnia Herzegovina, both major 
candidates for President campaigned for reducing political and economic 
support for ethnic Croats in Bosnia. Recalcitrant Bosnian Croats, 
sustained by HDZ hardliners in Zagreb, both reflected and reinforced 
hostility in the Serb and Bosnian communities. This change in outlook 
from Zagreb, coupled with a more independent Republika Srpsksa drifting 
from a financially strapped Belgrade and growing international pressure 
on the Bosnian Muslim government to reform may combine to create a 
dynamic in Bosnia where the definition of progress is not simply the 
absence of war but active trust and cooperation between ethnic groups.
  This resolution has support from a broad bipartisan coalition, from 
the Administration, and from leading Croatian-American groups such as 
the National Federation of Croatian Americans.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  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. Pease). 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, H. Con. Res. 
251, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as 
amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________