[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 138 (Saturday, October 28, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1980]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           INTRODUCTION OF H. CON. RES. 433 REGARDING BELARUS

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                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 26, 2000

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to cosponsor House 
Concurrent Resolution 433, a resolution introduced on Monday by my 
colleague on the International Relations Committee, Mr. Gejdensen, 
concerning the recent parliamentary elections in Belarus.
  The Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and 
other European institutions, as well as the State Department, all 
concluded that these elections were not free, fair and transparent and 
that they failed to meet the international norms for democratic 
elections. Unfortunately, the Lukashenka regime did not meet the four 
conditions that the OSCE set back last spring--namely, a democratic 
election law, an end to human rights abuses, access by the opposition 
to the state media, and genuine powers be granted to the parliament. 
Instead, in the run-up to the elections, we witnessed the denial of 
registration to many opposition candidates; detentions and fines of 
individuals advocating a boycott of the elections; confiscation of 
100,000 copies of an independent newspaper among other examples of 
harassment of the opposition; rampant governmental interference in the 
election process and extensive irregularities on election day itself. 
These elections represent a continuing pattern of violations of human 
rights and the erosion of democracy which has haunted Belarus 
throughout the last six years of Alexander Lukashenka's rule.
  The Helsinki Commission, which I chair, has monitored and chronicles 
developments in Belarus, holding hearings which have included 
Belarusian democratic opposition leaders and leaders of the 13th 
Supreme Soviet, the legitimate parliament which Lukashenka disbanded in 
1996. In July, I led the US delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary 
Assembly meeting in Bucharest where the deteriorating situation in 
Belarus was high on our agenda. Importantly, this resolution includes 
language reaffirming Congress' recognition of the 13th Supreme Soviet 
as the sole democratically elected and constitutionally legitimate 
legislative body in Belarus, which is also important, especially as the 
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly continues to recognize that to seat the 
13th Supreme Soviet as well. In the last few years, I have made 
numerous direct and indirect intercessions, including through various 
OSCE institutions, to draw attention to the deplorable situation in 
Belarus and to encourage the establishment of democracy in Belarus and 
I assure you that the Helsinki Commission will continue its efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this 
resolution, and am eager for the House to go on record in support of 
the restoration of democracy in Belarus. I am especially pleased that 
the resolution urges the Lukashenka regime to provide a full accounting 
of the disappearances of several prominent opposition members and urges 
the release of those imprisoned in Belarus for their political views. I 
look forward to working with my colleagues to keep the spotlight on 
Belarus and to encourage the Belarusian government to comply with its 
freely undertaken OSCE and other international commitments.

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