[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 132 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10807-S10808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 153--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS WITH 
 RESPECT TO THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS HELD IN BELARUS ON OCTOBER 15, 
                      2000, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Campbell, and Mr. Helms) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 153

       Whereas on October 15, 2000, Aleksandr Lukashenko and his 
     authoritarian regime

[[Page S10808]]

     conducted an illegitimate and undemocratic parliamentary 
     election in an effort to further strengthen the power and 
     control his authoritarian regime exercises over the people of 
     the Republic of Belarus;
       Whereas during the time preceding this election the regime 
     of Aleksandr Lukashenko attempted to intimidate the 
     democratic opposition by beating, harassing, arresting, and 
     sentencing its members for supporting a boycott of the 
     October 15 election even though Belarus does not contain a 
     legal ban on efforts to boycott elections;
       Whereas the democratic opposition in Belarus was denied 
     fair and equal access to state-controlled television and 
     radio and was instead slandered by the state-controlled 
     media;
       Whereas on September 13, 2000, Belarusian police seized 
     100,000 copies of a special edition of the Belarusian Free 
     Trade Union newspaper, Rabochy, dedicated to the democratic 
     opposition's efforts to promote a boycott of the October 15 
     election;
       Whereas Aleksandr Lukashenko and his regime denied the 
     democratic opposition in Belarus seats on the Central 
     Election Commission, thereby violating his own pledge to 
     provide the democratic opposition a role in this Commission;
       Whereas Aleksandr Lukashenko and his regime denied the vast 
     majority of independent candidates opposed to his regime the 
     right to register as candidates in this election;
       Whereas Aleksandr Lukashenko and his regime dismissed 
     recommendations presented by the Organization for Security 
     and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for making the election law 
     in Belarus consistent with OSCE standards;
       Whereas in Grodno, police loyal to Aleksandr Lukashenko 
     summoned voters to participate in this illegitimate election 
     for parliament;
       Whereas the last genuinely free and fair parliamentary 
     election in Belarus took place in 1995 and from it emerged 
     the 13th Supreme Soviet whose democratically and 
     constitutionally derived authorities and powers have been 
     undercut by the authoritarian regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko; 
     and
       Whereas on October 11, the Lukashenko regime froze the bank 
     accounts and seized the equipment of the independent 
     publishing company, Magic, where most of the independent 
     newspapers in Minsk are published: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON BELARUS PARLIAMENTARY 
                   ELECTIONS.

       Congress hereby--
       (1) declares that--
       (A) the period preceding the elections held in Belarus held 
     on October 15, 2000, was plagued by continued human rights 
     abuses and a climate of fear for which the regime of 
     Aleksandr Lukashenko is responsible;
       (B) these elections were conducted in the absence of a 
     democratic electoral law;
       (C) the Lukashenko regime purposely denied the democratic 
     opposition access to state-controlled media; and
       (D) these elections were for seats in a parliament that 
     lacks real constitutional power and democratic legitimacy;
       (2) declares its support for the Belarus' democratic 
     opposition, commends the efforts of the opposition to boycott 
     these illegitimate parliamentary elections, and expresses the 
     hopes of Congress that the citizens of Belarus will soon 
     benefit from true freedom and democracy;
       (3) reaffirms its recognition of the 13th Supreme Soviet as 
     the sole and democratically and constitutionally legitimate 
     legislative body of Belarus; and
       (4) notes that, as the legitimate parliament of Belarus, 
     the 13th Supreme Soviet should continue to represent Belarus 
     in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for 
     Security and Cooperation in Europe.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DISAPPEARANCES OF INDIVIDUALS 
                   AND POLITICAL DETENTIONS IN BELARUS.

       It is the sense of Congress that the President should call 
     upon Aleksandr Lukashenko and his regime to--
       (1) provide a full accounting of the disappearances of 
     individuals in that country, including the disappearance of 
     Viktor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Yuri Zakharenka, and 
     Dmitry Zavadsky; and
       (2) release Vladimir Kudinov, Andrei Klimov, and all others 
     imprisoned in Belarus for their political views.

     SEC. 3. TRANSMITTAL OF RESOLUTION.

       The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this 
     resolution to the President.

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