[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 21, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3662-S3663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 151--URGING THE GOVERNMENT OF AFGHANISTAN TO ENSURE 
TRANSPARENT AND CREDIBLE PRESIDENTIAL AND PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS IN APRIL 
  2014 BY ADHERING TO INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED DEMOCRATIC STANDARDS, 
ESTABLISHING A TRANSPARENT ELECTORAL PROCESS, AND ENSURING SECURITY FOR 
                         VOTERS AND CANDIDATES

  Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. McCain, and Mr. Menendez) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 151

       Whereas Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission has 
     affirmed that Afghanistan will hold presidential and 
     provincial elections in April 2014 and parliamentary 
     elections in 2015;
       Whereas Afghanistan's current electoral process was 
     established in 2004 by the Constitution of Afghanistan;
       Whereas the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework 
     conditions some international assistance to Afghanistan on 
     the holding of credible, inclusive, and transparent elections 
     in 2014 and 2015, among other measures to improve governance;
       Whereas Afghanistan lacks a comprehensive and accurate 
     voter registry, and previous voter registration drives have 
     resulted in duplicate or fraudulent registrations, according 
     to a report by the National Democratic Institute;
       Whereas security concerns and voter intimidation have 
     impeded the ability of people in Afghanistan to cast votes 
     reliably and safely in past elections;
       Whereas Afghan women in particular are prevented from 
     meaningful participation in the electoral process due to the 
     security environment, the scarcity of female poll workers, 
     and lack of awareness of women's political rights and 
     opportunities, according to the Free and Fair Election 
     Foundation of Afghanistan;
       Whereas Afghanistan's 2009 presidential election was 
     characterized by inadequate security for voters and 
     candidates, low voter turnout, and widespread fraud, 
     according to the National Democratic Institute;
       Whereas Afghan officials, including President Karzai and 
     Attorney General Mohammad Ishaq Aloko, disputed the results 
     of Afghanistan's 2010 parliamentary elections and established 
     a Special Election Tribunal to investigate allegations of 
     fraud;
       Whereas, following the 2010 parliamentary elections, 
     Democracy International's Afghanistan Election Observation 
     Mission concluded that comprehensive electoral reform is 
     necessary to ensure a free, fair, and credible election 
     process in 2014;
       Whereas the Honorable Hamid Karzai is the first 
     democratically elected president of modern Afghanistan and 
     has served two terms in that position;
       Whereas the Constitution of Afghanistan states, ``No one 
     can be elected as president for more than two terms.'';
       Whereas President Karzai stated on January 11, 2013, 
     alongside President Barack Obama, ``The greatest of my 
     achievements [. . .] will be a proper, well-organized, 
     interference-free election in which the Afghan people can 
     elect their next president.'';
       Whereas, on several occasions since the late 1970s, civil 
     war has broken out in Afghanistan over the legitimacy of the 
     Afghan government;
       Whereas United States taxpayers have invested more than 
     $89,500,000,000 in reconstruction and humanitarian assistance 
     to Afghanistan since October 2001, according to the Special 
     Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR);
       Whereas a democratically-elected and legitimate government 
     that reflects the will of the Afghan people is in the vital 
     security interests of Afghanistan, the United States, its 
     partners in the NATO International Security Assistance Force 
     (ISAF), and Afghanistan's neighbors; and
       Whereas the most critical milestone for Afghanistan's 
     future stability is a peaceful and credible transition of 
     power through presidential elections in 2014: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) affirms that the electoral process in Afghanistan 
     should be determined and led by

[[Page S3663]]

     Afghan actors, with support from the international community, 
     and should not be subject to internal and external 
     interference;
       (2) expresses its strong support for credible, inclusive, 
     and transparent presidential and provincial elections in 
     April 2014;
       (3) urges the Government of Afghanistan to conduct the 
     elections in full accordance with the Constitution of 
     Afghanistan, to include maintaining the quota for women's 
     parliamentary participation;
       (4) honors the sacrifice of United States, coalition, and 
     Afghan service members who have been killed or injured since 
     October 2001 in defense of the democratic rights of the 
     Afghan people;
       (5) recognizes the substantial investment made by the 
     United States taxpayers in support of stability and democracy 
     in Afghanistan;
       (6) recognizes the contributions made by the government of 
     President Hamid Karzai to the democratic progress of 
     Afghanistan, including statements by President Karzai 
     committing to hold presidential elections in 2014 and not 
     seek a third term;
       (7) recognizes that transparent and credible elections will 
     safeguard the legitimacy of the next Afghan government and 
     will help prevent future violence by groups that may be ready 
     to contest a process perceived as rigged or dishonest;
       (8) recognizes that a democratically-elected and legitimate 
     government is as important to ensuring the long term 
     stability of Afghanistan as the successful training and 
     fielding of the Afghan National Security Forces;
       (9) urges the Government of Afghanistan to recognize the 
     independence and impartiality of the Independent Electoral 
     Commission (IEC) and an elections complaints mechanism with 
     clear jurisdiction over the final results, and urges all 
     parties not to interfere with their deliberations;
       (10) urges the Parliament of Afghanistan to pass 
     legislation that will establish a consultative and inclusive 
     process for appointing elections commissioners and allowing 
     election disputes to be resolved transparently and fairly;
       (11) urges the IEC to adopt measures to better mitigate 
     fraud, include marginalized groups, and improve electoral 
     transparency of the polling and counting process and 
     communicate these measures clearly and consistently to the 
     people of Afghanistan;
       (12) urges the Government of Afghanistan to support a 
     credible and effective electoral complaints mechanism whereby 
     its members are perceived as impartial, it is given the 
     ultimate authority on deciding whether a ballot or candidate 
     is disqualified, and it has the time and resources to do its 
     work;
       (13) urges close and continuing communication between the 
     IEC and the Afghan National Security Forces to identify and 
     provide security for vulnerable areas of the country during 
     the election period;
       (14) urges the Afghan National Security Forces to make 
     every necessary effort to ensure the safety of voters and 
     candidates;
       (15) expresses its support for the full participation of 
     Afghan civil society in the election process; and
       (16) urges the Secretary of State to condition financial, 
     logistical, and political support for Afghanistan's 2014 
     elections based on the implementation of reforms in 
     Afghanistan including--
       (A) increased efforts to encourage women's participation in 
     the electoral process, including provisions to ensure their 
     full access to and security at polling stations;
       (B) the implementation of measures to prevent fraudulent 
     registration and manipulation of the voting or counting 
     processes, including--
       (i) establishment of processes to better control ballots;
       (ii) vetting of and training for election officials; and
       (iii) full accreditation of and access for international 
     and domestic election observers; and
       (C) prompt passage of legislation through the Parliament of 
     Afghanistan that codifies the authorities and independence of 
     the IEC and an independent and impartial election complaints 
     mechanism.

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