[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 26, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S613-S614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO ON HIS ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF 
                                UKRAINE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to consideration of S. Con. Res. 7, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 7) congratulating the 
     people of Ukraine for conducting a democratic, transparent, 
     and fair runoff presidential election on December 26, 2004, 
     and congratulating Viktor Yushchenko on his election as 
     President of Ukraine and his commitment to democracy and 
     reform.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be added as a 
cosponsor of that concurrent resolution.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I would like to comment. We have a sizable 
Ukrainian-American population in Illinois, particularly Chicago, that 
followed this election closely. My son lives in a section known as 
Ukraine Village, and the neighborhood was covered with orange ribbons 
in support of the newly elected president. So I am happy to join in 
passing this resolution.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I thank my friend from Illinois.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider 
be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 7) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                             S. Con. Res. 7

       Whereas the establishment of a democratic, transparent, and 
     fair election process for the 2004 presidential election in 
     Ukraine and of a genuinely democratic political system have 
     been prerequisites for that country's full integration into 
     the international community of democracies;
       Whereas the Government of Ukraine has accepted numerous 
     specific commitments governing the conduct of elections as a 
     participating State of the Organization for Security and 
     Cooperation in Europe (OSCE);
       Whereas the election of Ukraine's next president was seen 
     as an unambiguous test of the extent of the Ukrainian 
     authorities' commitment to implement these standards and 
     build a democratic society based on free elections and the 
     rule of law;
       Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires 
     government and public authorities to ensure that candidates 
     and political parties enjoy equal treatment before the law 
     and that government resources are not employed to the 
     advantage of individual candidates or political parties;
       Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires the 
     full transparency of laws and regulations governing 
     elections, multiparty representation on election commissions, 
     and unobstructed access by candidates, political parties, and 
     domestic and international observers to all election 
     procedures, including voting and vote-counting in all areas 
     of the country;
       Whereas efforts by national and local officials and others 
     acting at the behest of such officials to impose obstacles to 
     free assembly, free speech, and a free and fair political 
     campaign took place throughout Ukraine during the entire 2004 
     presidential election campaign without condemnation or 
     remedial action by the Government of Ukraine;
       Whereas on October 31, 2004, Ukraine held the first round 
     of its presidential election and on November 21, 2004, 
     Ukraine held a runoff presidential election between the two 
     leading candidates, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and 
     opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko;
       Whereas a consensus of Ukrainian and international election 
     observers determined that the runoff election did not meet a 
     considerable number of international standards for democratic 
     elections, and these observers specifically declared that 
     state resources were abused in support of Viktor Yanukovich, 
     and that illegal voting by absentee ballot, multiple voting, 
     assaults on electoral observers and journalists, and the use 
     of counterfeit ballots were widespread;
       Whereas following the runoff presidential election on 
     November 21, 2004, tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens 
     engaged in

[[Page S614]]

     peaceful demonstrations in Kiev and elsewhere to protest the 
     unfair election and the declaration by the Ukrainian Central 
     Election Commission that Viktor Yanukovich had won a majority 
     of the votes;
       Whereas, on November 25, 2004, the Ukrainian Supreme Court 
     blocked the publication of the official runoff election 
     results thus preventing the inauguration of the next 
     president of Ukraine until the Supreme Court examined the 
     reports of voter fraud;
       Whereas on November 27, 2004, the Parliament of Ukraine 
     passed a resolution declaring that there were violations of 
     law during the runoff presidential election on November 21, 
     2004, and that the results of the election did not reflect 
     the will of the Ukrainian people;
       Whereas on December 1, 2004, the Parliament of Ukraine 
     passed a no confidence motion regarding the government of 
     Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich;
       Whereas European mediators and current Ukrainian President 
     Leonid Kuchma began discussions on December 1, 2004, to 
     attempt to work out a resolution to the standoff between the 
     supporters of both presidential candidates;
       Whereas on December 3, 2004, the Ukrainian Supreme Court 
     ruled that the runoff presidential election on November 21, 
     2004, was invalid and ordered a new presidential election to 
     take place on December 26, 2004;
       Whereas on December 8, 2004, the Parliament of Ukraine 
     passed laws to reform the Ukrainian electoral process, 
     including to reconstitute the Ukrainian Central Election 
     Commission, and to close loopholes for fraud in preparation 
     for a new presidential election;
       Whereas on December 26, 2004, the people of Ukraine again 
     went to the polls to elect the next president of Ukraine in 
     what the consensus of domestic and international observers 
     declared as a more democratic, transparent, and fair election 
     process with fewer problems than the previous two rounds;
       Whereas on January 10, 2005, the election victory of 
     opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko was certified by the 
     Ukrainian Central Election Commission; and
       Whereas the runoff presidential election on December 26, 
     2004, signifies a turning point for Ukraine which offers new 
     hope and opportunity to the people of Ukraine: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) commends the people and Government of Ukraine for their 
     commitment to democracy and their determination to end the 
     political crisis in that country in a peaceful and democratic 
     manner;
       (2) congratulates the people and Government of Ukraine for 
     ensuring a free and fair runoff presidential election which 
     represents the true choice of the Ukrainian people;
       (3) congratulates Viktor Yushchenko on his election as 
     President of Ukraine;
       (4) applauds the Ukrainian presidential candidates, the 
     European Union and other European representatives, and the 
     United States Government for the role they played in helping 
     to find a peaceful resolution of the crisis;
       (5) acknowledges and welcomes the strong relationship 
     formed between the United States and Ukraine and expresses 
     its strong and continuing support for the efforts of the 
     Ukrainian people and the new Government of Ukraine to 
     establish a full democracy, the rule of law, and respect for 
     human rights; and
       (6) pledges its assistance to the strengthening of a fully 
     free and open democratic system in Ukraine, the creation of a 
     prosperous free market economy in Ukraine, the reaffirmation 
     of Ukraine's independence and territorial sovereignty, and 
     Ukraine's full integration into the international community 
     of democracies.

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