[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 18 (Thursday, February 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S1685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 66--URGING THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC TO 
      ENSURE A DEMOCRATIC, TRANSPARENT, AND FAIR PROCESS FOR THE 
        PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 27, 2005

  Mr. McCAIN (for himself and Mr. Biden) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                               S. Res. 66

       Whereas on August 31, 1991, the Kyrgyz Republic declared 
     independence from the Soviet Union;
       Whereas the Kyrgyz Republic has been ruled by a single 
     President since gaining independence in 1991 after the 
     collapse of the Soviet Union;
       Whereas President Askar Akaev's initial years of power were 
     marked by numerous democratic reforms, including the 
     establishment of independent media and opposition party 
     representation in a bi-cameral parliament;
       Whereas in recent years, these democratic reforms have been 
     scaled back or eliminated;
       Whereas today in the Kyrgyz Republic, virtually all major 
     television outlets are controlled or influenced by the 
     President's family or the state;
       Whereas the political system of the Kyrgyz Republic has 
     been characterized by the Department of State as marred by 
     ``serious irregularities'' and its human rights record has 
     been described by the Department of State as ``poor'';
       Whereas in 2002, Government forces shot 4 opposition 
     demonstrators in the southern Aksy region;
       Whereas in 2003, President Akaev called for a referendum, 
     with little notice, on a group of Constitutional amendments, 
     leaving both voters and the opposition unprepared to 
     effectively participate in the vote;
       Whereas the 2003 referendum vote on the Constitutional 
     amendments was not transparent and contained numerous 
     instances of fraud;
       Whereas a genuinely free and fair democratic election 
     requires a period of political campaigning in an environment 
     in which administrative action, violence, intimidation, and 
     detention do not hinder the parties, political associations, 
     or the candidates from presenting their views and 
     qualifications to the citizenry;
       Whereas unimpeded access to television, radio, print, and 
     Internet media on a non-discriminatory basis is fundamental 
     to a genuinely free and fair democratic election;
       Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires that 
     all eligible citizens be guaranteed the right and effective 
     opportunity to exercise their civil and political rights, 
     including the right to vote, and the right to seek and 
     acquire information upon which to make an informed vote, free 
     from intimidation, undue influence, attempts at vote buying, 
     threats of political retribution, or other forms of coercion;
       Whereas the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, as a 
     participating state in the Organization for Security and 
     Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has accepted numerous specific 
     commitments governing the conduct of elections, including the 
     provisions of the Copenhagen Document;
       Whereas reports indicate that authorities within the Kyrgyz 
     government have stepped up repressive activities ahead of the 
     parliamentary elections scheduled for February 27, 2005, 
     including unfairly excluding opposition candidates from 
     running for office, launching new restrictions on freedom of 
     assembly, harassing opposition supporters and civil society 
     activists, publicly warning against a ``Ukraine scenario'', 
     and attempting to equate political opposition with 
     subversion; and
       Whereas the parliamentary elections scheduled for February 
     27, 2005, will provide an unambiguous test of the extent of 
     the commitment of the Kyrgyz authorities to implementing 
     democratic reforms and building a society based on free 
     elections and the rule of law:
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) acknowledges and welcomes the strong relationship 
     formed between the United States and the Kyrgyz Republic 
     since the restoration of independence in 1991;
       (2) expresses its strong and continuing support for the 
     efforts of the Kyrgyz people to establish a full democracy, 
     the rule of law, and respect for human rights in the Kyrgyz 
     Republic;
       (3) urges the Kyrgyz Republic to meet its Organization for 
     Security and Cooperation in Europe commitments on democratic 
     elections; and
       (4) urges the Kyrgyz authorities to ensure--
       (A) the full transparency of election procedures before, 
     during, and after the 2005 parliamentary elections;
       (B) the right to vote for all eligible citizens of the 
     Kyrgyz Republic;
       (C) unimpeded access by all parties and candidates to 
     print, radio, television, and Internet media on a non-
     discriminatory basis; and
       (D) the right of opposition parties and candidates to 
     assemble freely, campaign openly, and contest the upcoming 
     elections on an equal basis as all other parties, including 
     the party currently in control of the Parliament.

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