[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 97 (Tuesday, July 9, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5572-S5575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ELECTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN
Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 94, S. Res. 151.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 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.
[[Page S5573]]
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign
Relations with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause
and insert the part printed in italic and strike the preamble and
insert the part printed in italic.
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]
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 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 current president of Afghanistan is serving a
second elective term and the Constitution of Afghanistan
states, ``No one can be elected as president for more than
two terms.'';
Whereas the current president of Afghanistan has committed
to not seeking another term in office;
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 one of the most critical milestones 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 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 servicemembers 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
[[Page S5574]]
[(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.]
That the Senate--
(1) affirms that the electoral process in Afghanistan
should be determined and led by Afghan actors, with support
from the international community, and should not be subject
to internal or 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 constitutionally-
mandated allocation of seats 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, democracy,
and the rule of law in Afghanistan, including efforts to end
public corruption;
(6) recognizes the commitment of the Government of
Afghanistan to hold presidential elections in 2014 and the
current president's commitment not to seek a third term;
(7) recognizes that transparent and credible elections will
help 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 important to ensuring the long term stability
of Afghanistan, as is the successful training and fielding of
the Afghan National Security Forces;
(9) urges the Government of Afghanistan to respect and
support the independence and impartiality of the Independent
Electoral Commission (IEC) and the need for an independent
and impartial 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;
(16) urges the President of the United States to ensure
that all United States Government efforts in Afghanistan are
well-coordinated and are fully consistent with the American
taxpayers longstanding commitment to stability, democracy,
and the rule of law in Afghanistan, including efforts to end
public corruption; and
(17) 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.
Ms. WARREN. I further ask that the committee-reported substitute
amendment be agreed to; the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; the
committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the
preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and the motions to reconsider be
considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or
debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
The resolution (S. Res. 151), as amended, was agreed to.
The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute to the preamble
was agreed to.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows:
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 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 current president of Afghanistan is serving a
second elective term and the Constitution of Afghanistan
states, ``No one can be elected as president for more than
two terms.'';
Whereas the current president of Afghanistan has committed
to not seeking another term in office;
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 one of the most critical milestones 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 Afghan actors, with support
from the international community, and should not be subject
to internal or 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 constitutionally-
mandated allocation of seats 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, democracy,
and the rule of law in Afghanistan, including efforts to end
public corruption;
(6) recognizes the commitment of the Government of
Afghanistan to hold presidential elections in 2014 and the
current president's commitment not to seek a third term;
(7) recognizes that transparent and credible elections will
help 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 important to ensuring the long term stability
of Afghanistan, as is the successful training and fielding of
the Afghan National Security Forces;
(9) urges the Government of Afghanistan to respect and
support the independence and impartiality of the Independent
Electoral Commission (IEC) and the need for an independent
and impartial elections complaints mechanism with clear
jurisdiction over the
[[Page S5575]]
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;
(16) urges the President of the United States to ensure
that all United States Government efforts in Afghanistan are
well-coordinated and are fully consistent with the American
taxpayers longstanding commitment to stability, democracy,
and the rule of law in Afghanistan, including efforts to end
public corruption; and
(17) 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.
____________________