[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 8, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H699-H702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS TO ESTABLISH A FULL 
                               DEMOCRACY

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 673) expressing support for the 
efforts of the people of the Republic of Belarus to establish a full 
democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and urging the 
Government of Belarus to conduct a free and fair Presidential election 
on March 19, 2006.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 673

       Whereas the establishment of a democratic, transparent, and 
     fair election process for the 2006 presidential election in 
     the Republic of Belarus and of a genuinely democratic 
     political system are prerequisites for that country's 
     integration into the Western community of nations;
       Whereas the Government of Belarus has accepted numerous 
     specific commitments governing the conduct of elections as a 
     participating State of the Organization for Security and 
     Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including provisions of the 
     1990 Copenhagen Document;
       Whereas these commitments, which encourage transparency, 
     balance, and impartiality in an election process, have become 
     the standard by which observers determine whether elections 
     have been conducted freely and fairly;
       Whereas the election on March 19, 2006, of the next 
     president of Belarus will provide an unambiguous test of the 
     extent of the commitment of the Belarusian authorities to 
     implement these standards and build a democratic society 
     based on free elections and the rule of law;
       Whereas previous elections in Belarus have not met 
     international standards;
       Whereas the 2004 vote on the constitutional referendum in 
     Belarus did not meet international standards;
       Whereas it is the duty of government and public authorities 
     at all levels to act in a manner consistent with all laws and 
     regulations governing election procedures and to ensure free 
     and fair elections throughout the entire country, including 
     preventing activities aimed at undermining the free exercise 
     of political rights;
       Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires a 
     period of political campaigning conducted in an environment 
     in which neither administrative action nor violence, 
     intimidation, or detention hinder the parties, political 
     associations, and the candidates from presenting their views 
     and qualifications to the citizenry, including organizing 
     supporters, conducting public meetings and events throughout 
     the country, and enjoying unimpeded access to television, 
     radio, print, and Internet media on an equal basis;
       Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires that 
     citizens be guaranteed the right and effective opportunity to 
     exercise their civil and political rights, including the 
     right to vote free from intimidation, threats of political 
     retribution, or other forms of coercion by national or local 
     authorities or others;
       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 control and manipulation of the media by national 
     and local officials and

[[Page H700]]

     others acting at their behest could raise grave concerns 
     regarding the commitment of the Belarusian authorities to 
     free and fair elections;
       Whereas efforts by national and local officials and others 
     acting at their behest to impose obstacles to free assembly, 
     free speech, and a free and fair political campaign will call 
     into question the fairness of the upcoming election in 
     Belarus; and
       Whereas the arrest or intimidation of opposition political 
     parties and candidates, such as the leader of the Unified 
     Democratic Forces and other people involved with the 
     opposition, represents a deliberate assault on the democratic 
     process: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) looks forward to the development of cordial relations 
     between the United States and the Republic of Belarus;
       (2) emphasizes that a precondition for the integration of 
     Belarus into the Western community of nations is its 
     establishment of a genuinely democratic political system;
       (3) expresses its strong and continuing support for the 
     efforts of the Belarusian people to establish a full 
     democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights in 
     Belarus;
       (4) urges the Government of Belarus to guarantee freedom of 
     association and assembly, including the right of candidates, 
     members of political parties, and others to freely assemble, 
     to organize and conduct public events, and to exercise these 
     and other rights free from intimidation or harassment by 
     national or local officials or others acting at their behest;
       (5) urges the Government of Belarus to meet its 
     Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 
     standards and commitments on democratic elections, including 
     the standards on free and fair elections as defined in the 
     1990 Copenhagen Document;
       (6) urges the Belarusian authorities to ensure--
       (A) the full transparency of election procedures before, 
     during, and after the 2006 presidential election;
       (B) unobstructed access by election monitors from the 
     Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), 
     other participating States of the OSCE, Belarusian political 
     parties, candidates' representatives, nongovernmental 
     organizations, and other private institutions and 
     organizations--both foreign and domestic--to all aspects of 
     the election process, including unimpeded access to public 
     campaign events, candidates, news media, voting, and post-
     election tabulation of results and processing of election 
     challenges and complaints;
       (C) multiparty representation on all election commissions;
       (D) unimpeded access by all parties and candidates to 
     print, radio, television, and Internet media on a non-
     discriminatory basis;
       (E) freedom of candidates, members of opposition parties, 
     and independent media organizations from intimidation or 
     harassment by government officials at all levels via 
     selective tax audits and other regulatory and bureaucratic 
     procedures, and in the case of media, license revocations and 
     libel suits, among other measures;
       (F) a transparent process for complaint and appeals through 
     electoral commissions and within the court system that 
     provides timely and effective remedies; and
       (G) vigorous prosecution of any individual or organization 
     responsible for violations of election laws or regulations, 
     including the application of appropriate administrative or 
     criminal penalties;
       (7) encourages the international community, including the 
     Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the OSCE Parliamentary 
     Assembly, to continue their efforts to support democracy in 
     Belarus and urges countries such as Lithuania and other 
     Baltic countries and Nordic countries to continue to provide 
     assistance to nongovernmental organizations and other 
     Belarusian organizations involved in promoting democracy and 
     fair elections in Belarus; and
       (8) pledges its support to the Belarusian people, their 
     commitment to a fully free and open democratic system, their 
     creation of a prosperous free market economy, and their 
     country's assumption of its rightful place as a full and 
     equal member of the Western community of democracies.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 673, sponsored by our distinguished 
colleague from Illinois, Mr. Shimkus, expresses support and solidarity 
for the efforts of the people of Belarus to establish a full democracy, 
the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights. It also urges 
the Government of Belarus to conduct free and fair Presidential 
elections on March 19.
  I would like at the outset to commend our distinguished colleague, 
Mr. Shimkus, for his hard work on this resolution and his great 
interest and passion for supporting freedom in Belarus and in other 
countries of the former Soviet Union.
  Belarus, as my colleagues know, is often described as ``the last 
dictatorship in Europe.'' In the past 3 or 4 years, especially since 
the 2004 parliamentary elections and referendum, President Alexander 
Lukashenko has increased repression against NGOs, media outlets, any 
opponents of the government, including youth groups. Perhaps most 
disturbing are the cases of forced disappearances of lawmakers and 
journalists and others who have dared to criticize the Lukashenko 
dictatorship.
  To date, the Government of Belarus has refused to conduct an 
impartial investigation into these disappearances and has refused to 
allow an independent U.N.-appointed investigator to look into these 
cases.
  Sadly, Mr. Speaker, the Lukashenko regime has only become more 
dictatorial with the passage of time. The assault on civil society, the 
NGOs, the independent media, democratic opposition, and increasing 
pressure on unregistered and minority religious groups has only 
intensified, becoming daily occurrences. Despite innumerable calls for 
Belarus to live up to its freely undertaken OSCE election commitments, 
elections in 2000, 2001, and 2004 were neither free nor fair.
  It follows along a downward trajectory that began a decade ago when 
Lukashenko, through an illegitimate referendum, took control over the 
legislature and the judiciary and manipulated the Constitution to 
remain in power.
  Mr. Speaker, Belarus, which borders on EU and NATO member countries, 
has become an increasingly stark anomaly in a growing democratic 
Europe. The Belarusian people have become even more isolated from the 
winds of democracy following neighboring Ukraine's Orange Revolution. 
Lukashenko's fear that the people would follow the Ukrainian example 
has led to further clamping down on those who dare to speak out for 
freedom.
  Among the numerous examples that can be cited here on the floor: Just 
last week, one Belarusian opposition candidate running for next week's 
elections was detained by security forces and severely beaten. 
Yesterday we received reports that five members of the campaign of the 
United Opposition Candidate, Alexander Milinkevych, was held by police 
and driven away. In recent weeks Lukashenko has launched an intensive 
campaign to encourage a climate of fear and stoke hostility among the 
Belarusian people through a Soviet-style propaganda campaign against 
the opposition: Europe and the United States.

                              {time}  1245

  Mr. Speaker, as the prime sponsor of the Belarus Democracy Act, which 
was signed into law by President Bush, I welcome the administration's 
growing engagement with the people of Belarus. I am pleased that 
President Bush and other high-ranking officials met with Irena 
Krasovska and Tatyana Zavadska, two of the wives of opposition figures 
believed to have been murdered with the complicity of Belarusian senior 
officials. I would note, parenthetically, that I have had the privilege 
of meeting with them and others on a number of occasions over the last 
6 years and have admired their determination and courage to seek an 
accounting of their loved ones, in most cases their missing, possibly 
murdered husbands.
  Given the disturbing, Mr. Speaker, preelection environment, where 
meaningful access to the media by opposition candidates is denied, 
where independent voices are stifled, and where the regime maintains 
pervasive control over the election process, it is very hard to imagine 
that next week's elections will be free. They are already not fair. In 
the event that protests are held in response to electoral fraud, we are 
reminded by Belarusian authorities that the right to peaceful assembly 
is a fundamental human right and a basic tenet of the OSCE. Any violent 
suppression of peaceful protests will have serious repercussions and 
only deepen Belarus' self-imposed isolation.
  Over the course of the last century, the Belarusian people have 
endured great suffering at the hands of murderous dictators such as 
Stalin and Hitler. Twenty years ago they endured,

[[Page H701]]

and continue to endure, Chernobyl's dark cloud. The Belarusian people 
deserve the freedom and the dignity long denied them, and Belarus 
deserves its rightful place in a free, prosperous and democratic 
Europe.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume, 
and I rise in strong support of this resolution.
  First, I want to commend my good friend Chris Smith from New Jersey 
for his leadership on this issue, as well as all of my colleagues who 
played a role in its development.
  Mr. Speaker, Alexander Lukashenko is, in fact, the last dictator of 
Europe. He is running for reelection as President of Belarus for the 
third time, and there is really no suspense about the outcome. He is 
running a neo-Stalinist dictatorship with the usual techniques.
  Although it is now a decade and a half since the collapse of the 
Soviet Union, Lukashenko is conducting elections that would make Leonid 
Brezhnev and Nikita Khrushchev blush.
  Freedom of the press is nonexistent in Belarus. All television and 
radio stations are either owned or controlled by the government. 
Newscasts offer nothing but sickening praise for Lukashenko. The main 
opposition candidate, Alexander Milinkevich, says that his name has 
never been mentioned on television.
  A publication called ``People's Will'' is the last remaining 
newspaper in the country which is not yet under the thumb of 
Lukashenko. The state-owned media distribution network refused to 
distribute this newspaper, and the state-run press kiosks are 
prohibited from selling it.
  Last year a government-controlled court found this newspaper guilty 
of slandering a progovernment politician properly accused in the U.N. 
Oil-for-Food investigation. This so-called court imposed a fine of 
$50,000 against the newspaper, an absolutely incredible figure in a 
country such as Belarus where $50,000 sounds like $500 million to us. 
Of course, the newspaper, which has a very modest circulation, was 
unable to pay the fine, and its loyal readers contributed in small 
amounts enough money to pay the fine.
  The editor of this paper was informed by the government that the 
printing company, which was under contract to print the newspaper, was 
breaking its contract and would no longer print it. The newspaper had 
to find a printing house in Russia, and copies of the paper are mailed 
to subscribers, but, of course, they arrive days or weeks later.
  Mr. Speaker, the government's techniques for keeping journalists in 
line is quite simple. Over the past several years, journalists known 
for their critical coverage of Lukashenko died under mysterious 
circumstances. Independent journalists simply vanished without a trace.
  In October, Lukashenko pushed through a law that makes it a crime to 
discredit the state or any of its officials. This ``crime'' carries a 
sentence of 2 years in prison. The head of the Belarusian Journalists' 
Association said, ``All information that contradicts official 
propaganda is blocked.''
  The government is so paranoid about controlling the dissemination of 
information that even buying a copying machine requires the approval of 
the Ministry of the Interior.
  Mr. Speaker, complete control of newspapers, television and radio is 
not all this nondemocratic government is doing to ensure the reelection 
of Lukashenko. Less than a week ago, the opposition presidential 
candidate was accused of damaging a picture of the country's President 
and imprisoned.
  The Belarus State Security Committee, which, significantly in 
Russian, has the initials of the KGB, which were the initials of 
Stalin's secret police, reported that it had uncovered a coup 
masterminded by the opposition, planned for the day after the election. 
The supposed coup became a basis for the Government of Belarus to ban 
72 nongovernmental organizations which were accused of plotting this 
supposed coup.
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution we are considering expresses support for 
the people of Belarus and urges the government to show respect for the 
rule of law and respect for human and civil rights of the Belarusian 
people. It calls for free and fair elections.
  It is important that we put on record our indignation, our 
frustration and our outrage at Belarus' blatant disregard for civilized 
governmental procedures and human rights. We earnestly seek the 
establishment of good relations with the people of Belarus, but that 
can only happen if the government of that country guarantees its 
citizens the opportunity to exercise their civil liberties, their 
political rights and privileges, including the right to full freedom of 
expression.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this very 
important resolution. We must send a clear and unequivocal message to 
Lukashenko that before Belarus can be integrated into the community of 
civilized Nations, a democratic political system must be in place in 
that country.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support the resolution, and I insert 
at this point in the Record a statement by the National Democratic 
Institute.

Statement by the National Democratic Institute on the Current Situation 
                               in Belarus

       Around the world, citizens have organized in a nonpartisan 
     way to monitor elections as a means of promoting confidence 
     and participation in the electoral process. The right of 
     citizens to monitor their elections is a fundamental 
     democratic principle, and over the past 25 years the National 
     Democratic Institute is proud to have worked with nonpartisan 
     monitoring groups in more than 65 countries in every region 
     of the world.
       In Belarus, civic activists have also sought to monitor 
     their elections, a right which is guaranteed to them under 
     Article 13 of the Belarusian electoral code and the 
     Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 
     1990 Copenhagen Document.
       In 2001, the OSCE along with NDI provided support to a 
     coalition of nonpartisan domestic monitors who observed the 
     2001 presidential poll, and NDI assisted the efforts of more 
     than 3,000 Belarusian nonpartisan monitors for the 2004 
     parliamentary elections. These monitors acted with integrity 
     and professionalism, although their attempts to register as a 
     nonpartisan election monitoring organization had been 
     rejected by the Belarusian authorities. A year later, many of 
     the same monitors once again sought to register a citizen 
     initiative called Partnership in order to monitor the 
     upcoming presidential poll. Their request for registration 
     was once again denied.
       Two weeks ago, on February 21, several of these civic 
     activists were arrested and their offices and homes raided. 
     The KGB accused them of ``slandering the president and 
     illegally running an unregistered organization.'' In its 
     propaganda campaign the Belarusian authorities falsely 
     accused Partnership of organizing fraudulent exit polls and 
     planning a violent uprising after the election. The activists 
     were formally charged on March 3 and remain in detention.
       NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright made the following 
     statement:
       ``The National Democratic Institute deplores this attempt 
     by the Belarusian authorities to deny the basic rights of 
     their citizens to peacefully monitor the March 19 
     presidential election.
       We condemn the recent arrests of civic activists and the 
     accusations leveled against Partnership, whose only interest 
     is to promote a democratic election process and peacefully 
     monitor that process.
       By refusing to register nonpartisan monitoring groups and 
     restricting their access to assistance from outside 
     organizations, Belarus is violating its commitments as a 
     member state of the OSCE and other international human rights 
     instruments to which it is a party.
       We call on the government of Belarus to immediately release 
     those detained and allow them to continue their rightful 
     monitoring effort without interference.
       The Belarus government cannot expect to earn international 
     respect if it does not respect international norms.''

  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), the author of H. 
Res. 673, my good friend and colleague.
  (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, if my colleague Chris Smith will allow me 
to speak from this side, because I have great respect for Tom Lantos, 
and you know it is always in fashion to fight for democracy and 
freedom, it is an issue that easily, many times, most times, crosses 
across the center aisle, and I am proud of what you do and I am proud 
of what we do to fight for democracy and freedom.
  We have got another opportunity to do that today with addressing the 
upcoming elections in Belarus and the last dictatorship in Europe.
  I have with me the, it is being called the ``Denim Revolution,'' and 
it has got the dictator concerned. How do you

[[Page H702]]

have free and fair elections when you do not let the opponents 
campaign, or you let them campaign, but solely door to door, no mail, 
no advertising, no public billboards? There is no freedom for the 
opposition to get their word out.
  In fact, today as I was coming down to the floor, I just received an 
e-mail, a great thing with the new technologies today, the ability to 
find out what is going on, and I want to read this to my colleagues: 
``According to the press release distributed by the office of the 
single candidate from the unified Belarusian opposition, Alexander 
Milinkevych, this morning, after a meeting of Milinkevych with voters 
in the `Byarestse' cinema theater, five representatives of his team, 
including,'' a friend of mine who I have met a couple times, ``Vintsuk 
Viachorka were held by the police and driven away. The opposition 
activists might have been beaten. For the moment, it is not clear where 
they are. Their mobile phones are switched off.''
  Now, what is really problematic about this is that usually the 
Belarusians, through the use of the KGB and the uniformed police, are 
very proud when they grab people who want to run for elected office, 
and they proudly display the fact that they are held in police custody. 
Well, we do not know where these gentlemen are. And we have no idea, 
there has been no claims of who has them. So, really, the basic plea 
right now is where are they.
  That is just a symbol of people would not believe that in Europe that 
we would still have this subversion of freedom and democracy.
  So I want to thank the International Relations Committee, of course 
my good friend and colleague from Illinois, Henry Hyde, and the ranking 
member, of course, Chris Smith, who has done such a great job, and 
Chairman Gallegly, who was very helpful to me in moving this 
legislation because we talk about the issues of freedom a lot on this 
floor. I think our Founding Fathers would be very proud that we still 
take up that torch of freedom for all people, and, yeah, we may be 
accused of being biased to some extent at some time, but we are a human 
institution, and we need friends on both sides who will call us to 
account that freedom is good enough for all the countries in Europe and 
even in the last dictatorship. It is good enough for other areas around 
the world, and I am one that is not ashamed of standing up for freedom 
and democracy.
  This is a great resolution. It is very timely. As we know, the 
election is coming, and we have got our fellow freedom fighters being 
jailed for activities that we take for granted here in the United 
States. This is right that we send a signal, and I am proud to join 
you, and I want to thank the ranking member, and I want to thank my 
colleague, Congressman Smith, for the opportunity.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of the country of 
Belarus and their ongoing struggle for free and fair elections. The 
last dictator in Europe, Aleksander Lukashenko, rules this country 
through a combination of intimidation and fear, suppressing the voices 
and rights of the Belarusian people as they watch their neighbors in 
Georgia and in the Ukraine rise up and take back their countries to 
emerge as thriving democracies.
  I am proud to be the sponsor of H. Res. 673, along with my colleague 
Mr. Gallegly. This legislation, among many other things, pledges the 
support of the United States House of Representatives to the Belarusian 
people, and calls for a free and open election. Unfortunately, as we 
have seen in many events covered in the past week this will most likely 
not happen for the Belarusian people on March 19th. Instead the ongoing 
cycle of violence and intimidation will steal another election for Mr. 
Lukashenko.
  I encourage my colleagues to stand with me in the support of the 
Belarusian people and keep them in your thoughts and prayers in this 
difficult time. As President Bush said, ``The fate of Belarus will rest 
not with a dictator, but with the students, trade unionists, civic and 
religious leaders, journalists, and all citizens of Belarus claiming 
freedom for their nation.'' I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of 
this resolution.

                              {time}  1300

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) for 
authoring this legislation. It sends a clear, unmistakable message to 
the Lukashenko dictatorship, and a message of solidarity and concern to 
the people that hopefully there will be a brighter day for this 
important country. But it is only because of ongoing, dogged 
determination on the part of the pro-democracy advocates inside that 
country and their friends outside, like Mr. Lantos, Mr. Hyde, Mr. 
Shimkus, and others; that we keep the pressure on from without so that 
someday human rights and democracy will flourish in Belarus.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 673.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

                          ____________________