[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 88 (Monday, June 9, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H5106-H5108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
URGING AFGHANISTAN TO PURSUE A TRANSPARENT, CREDIBLE, AND INCLUSIVE
RUN-OFF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 600) urging the Government of Afghanistan,
following a successful first round of the presidential election on
April 5, 2014, to pursue a transparent, credible, and inclusive run-off
presidential election on June 14, 2014, while ensuring the safety of
voters, candidates, poll workers, and election observers.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 600
Whereas on April 5, 2014, the Government of Afghanistan
held the first round of the presidential election in which
voter participation was 60 percent;
Whereas on May 15, 2014, Afghanistan's Independent Election
Commission (IEC) certified the results, and announced that a
run-off election would be held on June 14, 2014, because no
candidate received more than 50 percent of the votes;
Whereas on May 14, 2014, the IEC invalidated votes from 331
polling stations and removed them from the final tabulation,
based on Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) decisions;
Whereas there have been widespread reports of voter and
election monitor intimidation, including the killing of
members of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) during an
attack at the Serena Hotel in Kabul on March 20, 2014, as
well as attempts to bribe members of the IEC, the ECC, and
other election monitoring organizations;
Whereas investigations by the ECC, and its coordination
with the IEC, have not been conducted in a transparent
manner;
Whereas 17 members of the Afghanistan National Security
Forces (ANSF) were killed in Taliban and insurgent attacks
while supporting the April 5, 2014, elections;
Whereas the United States and Afghanistan signed the
Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement to strengthen Afghan
sovereignty, stability, and prosperity, while emphasizing a
shared goal to defeat al-Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates;
Whereas United States and coalition armed forces have
greatly contributed to the stability and security of
Afghanistan at a considerable personal sacrifice; and
Whereas the United States has contributed more than
$100,000,000 toward the 2014 Afghan presidential election:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) commends the Government of Afghanistan for holding a
successful first round of the presidential election and
expresses strong support for a credible, inclusive, and
transparent second round on June 14, 2014;
(2) supports the mandate of Afghan electoral bodies such as
the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Electoral
Complaints Commission (ECC) to administer, adjudicate, and
manage polls, as well
[[Page H5107]]
as oversee logistical and technical preparations in a
transparent, fair, and credible manner to prevent fraud and
misconduct;
(3) encourages the Government of Afghanistan to implement
measures that will increase voter participation, particularly
among the Afghan female population;
(4) recognizes the determination of the Afghan people to
exercise their right to vote and determine their country's
destiny;
(5) urges the Government of Afghanistan to take steps to
assure that fraudulent electoral activities do not take place
during the runoff;
(6) urges the IEC to adopt measures to better mitigate
fraud, improve electoral transparency of the polling and
counting process, and communicate these measures clearly and
consistently to the people of Afghanistan;
(7) urges close and continuing communication between the
IEC and the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) to
identify and provide security for vulnerable areas of the
country during the election period;
(8) encourages all elements of Afghan society to refrain
from fomenting violence and other disturbances in voting
areas;
(9) urges the ANSF to make every necessary effort to ensure
the safety of voters, candidates, poll workers, and election
observers;
(10) expresses its support for the full participation of
Afghan civil society in the election process;
(11) recognizes that a democratically-elected government
that reflects the will of the Afghan people and is committed
to combating terrorism would promote the long-term stability
and security interests of Afghanistan, its neighbors, and its
partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
International Security Assistance Force, including the United
States; and
(12) recognizes the sacrifices of United States and
coalition armed forces that have contributed, and will
continue to contribute, to the security and stability of
Afghanistan.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Grayson)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on this resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this coming Saturday, the Afghan people will exercise
their right to vote and their right to determine their country's
future, choosing between two candidates to complete the first
democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan's long, violent history.
This vote holds out the promise of helping to solidify the
achievements of U.S. international forces there. That is why this
bipartisan resolution, which I am pleased to cosponsor, urges the
Government of Afghanistan to pursue a secure, transparent, and credible
runoff Presidential election.
Make no mistake--the Taliban would love nothing more than to disrupt
this democratic process and see the Government of Afghanistan fail.
During the past month, Taliban fighters have ramped up their attacks,
of course, while threatening polling centers and election officials.
Indeed, on Friday, the Taliban attempted to assassinate the leading
Afghan Presidential candidate, Abdul Abdullah, in a suicide car
bombing. After emerging unharmed, Abdullah said:
Threats can't stop us and our people. We are still
dedicated to what we have promised for a better future.
For those of you who followed his campaign later that day, he was
undeterred and went from event to event.
Well, this election offers the chance for Afghanistan to embark on
that better future by taking the final steps towards a legitimate
transition of power.
Just over 2 months ago, Afghans overwhelmingly flocked to the polls
to vote in Presidential and in provisional elections. More than 7
million Afghan citizens cast a blot during the first round of voting.
To put that in perspective, for those of you who remember, that was
about 4.5 million who voted in 2009. This dwarfed that number--7
million.
That first round election also saw a prominent female politician
selected as a running mate, a choice that likely helped inspire some
2.5 million Afghan women to come out to the polls and to vote. While
she and her running mate came in third, no aspiring leader can afford
to ignore the interests of half of Afghanistan's population, who want
better education, health, and other basic services.
Although the April elections were a significant improvement over
2009, there is plenty of room for progress. Numerous electoral
complaints led to the invalidation of votes, and in May, Afghanistan's
Independent Election Commission fired poll workers, some of whom were
accused of voter fraud. This is exactly why it is so critical for the
Government of Afghanistan to take these proactive steps to champion a
secure and fair runoff election. A successful election will help
emphasize Afghanistan's commitment to good governance, and it will
provide much-needed legitimacy to the incoming President of that
country.
Mr. Speaker, the United States has been heavily involved in
Afghanistan for years. We have made great sacrifice. While the Obama
administration has U.S. involvement in Afghanistan coming to a close,
U.S. interest in a stable and secure Afghanistan will continue. The
United States maintains an enduring national security interest in an
Afghanistan that prevents itself from becoming a safe haven for
terrorism. That goal becomes much harder if the Taliban is rejuvenated
and successful in wrecking this weekend's elected government.
But one way we can demonstrate our commitment to Afghanistan's
success is by supporting the country's first-ever democratic transition
of executive power. This resolution does exactly that, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of House Resolution 600, to extend my
gratitude to Chairman Royce, and to urge my colleagues' support as
well.
This Saturday, the people of Afghanistan will travel to the polls to
elect a new President in a runoff election. The victorious candidate
will replace Hamid Karzai, who has led Afghanistan since 2001.
House Resolution 600 recognizes this important moment in history and
urges the Government of Afghanistan to pursue a transparent, credible,
and inclusive runoff Presidential election while ensuring the safety of
voters, candidates, poll workers, and election observers.
So far, the U.S. Government has contributed more than $100 million
toward the 2014 Afghanistan election, and numerous United States and
coalition soldiers have sacrificed their lives in efforts to secure
Afghanistan and prepare it for this crucial moment of peaceful
transition of power.
I think that it is important to recognize these facts, and that is
part of what House Resolution 600 seeks to do.
On April 5, the Government of Afghanistan held the first round of a
Presidential election, in which almost 60 percent of eligible voters
participated. Now, according to the Afghan Constitution, because no
single candidate claimed more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff
election between the top two candidates will be held.
The first round of elections were promising in terms of increased
voter turnout, no civilian deaths in attacks on election day, and a
quick certification of results in order to set the stage for a runoff
election, but more work remains to be done.
Votes from 331 polling stations were invalidated and removed from the
final tabulations. Reports of voter and election monitor intimidation
persist. Reports of attempts to bribe election monitors have occurred.
Reports of SMS and texting capabilities being suspended on election day
exist. Concerns remain about the lack of transparency and activities of
the Afghan Independent Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints
Commission. Seventeen members of the Afghan National Security Forces
were killed in attacks on election day. And female voter participation
and protection remains at a level below what Afghan males enjoy.
In light of these issues, House Resolution 600 commends the
Government of Afghanistan for holding the first round of elections and
scheduling a second; expresses support for a credible, inclusive, and
transparent runoff election; supports the mandate of Afghan electoral
bodies to prevent voter fraud
[[Page H5108]]
and misconduct; encourages the Government of Afghanistan to implement
measures that will increase voter participation, particularly among
Afghan females; and urges the security force to continue to provide
protection to vulnerable areas of the country during the election
period, as well as recognizing the sacrifices of those forces that have
contributed and will continue to contribute to the security and
stability of Afghanistan.
This is an exciting time for Afghanistan, Mr. Speaker, and this
election is an important one. American forces have been in Afghanistan
now for a decade, and most of them are now coming home. This election
will be crucial in proving to the world that Afghanistan is ready again
to chart its own course and to provide its own security.
I wish the Afghan people well in this endeavor, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Messer).
Mr. MESSER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this important
bipartisan resolution to urge the Government of Afghanistan to ensure a
transparent process in its June 14 runoff Presidential election.
I want to commend my former Foreign Affairs Committee colleague, Mr.
Grayson, for bringing this measure forward, and also Chairman Royce for
his leadership on this important issue.
It makes clear that the United States supports the Afghan people in
their pursuit to form an effective government through credible,
violence-free elections.
Afghanistan certainly faces major challenges, but this transition is
an opportunity for Afghanistan to build upon the progress it has made
since 2001. Under the Taliban, women were banned from social,
political, and educational participation. Now, more than one-quarter of
the country's parliament is female, and more than one-third of the
voters in the first round of elections were women.
There has been other strong progress, both big and small. Infant
mortality has declined, the media is more accessible, the literacy
rates have increased from the single digits, and there are even
substantially more paved roads. Don't get me wrong. It is not all
cotton candy and rainbows. To be certain, Afghanistan still has a long
road ahead to achieve a democratic future, but this election is a
critical step in the right direction.
It is my hope that the Government of Afghanistan recognizes the
sacrifices that have been made to get to this point and will turn a
page to ensure a peaceful transition of power.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan measure.
Mr. GRAYSON. I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
{time} 1615
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume and
will just take a moment and recognize the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Grayson) for his initiative in introducing this bill and for his
commitment to the success of democratic governance in Afghanistan.
The international community has previously pledged aid support to
Afghanistan on the condition that the country hold transparent,
credible, and inclusive elections this year and next year. This
resolution encourages the Government of Afghanistan to uphold that
commitment when Afghans finally select a successor to President Karzai
on June 14.
This new government will have a chance to start anew, tackling
corruption--the kind of corruption that has jeopardized the success of
international aid efforts there. This resolution urges the Government
of Afghanistan to lessen the risk of fraud, to improve electoral
transparency, enhance security efforts, and increase voter
participation during the upcoming runoff.
Importantly, it has also been the case that we need to recognize the
sacrifices of members of the Armed Forces, and this resolution does
that. It recognizes those in our Armed Forces and underscores that this
election will contribute to the security and stability interests of
both Afghanistan and the United States.
This is an historic opportunity to bolster the Afghan-led electoral
process, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan
resolution, which demonstrates our commitment to a legitimate and
democratic transition to power in Afghanistan.
Also, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) has reminded me that, as
Afghanistan walks down this road, it might behoove the new government
there to look at local elections as part of the solution, rather than
to have people perennially appointed from the center of the country,
empower people locally to elect their own local mayors, their own local
leaders.
They will certainly have that opportunity next year in the
parliamentary elections.
With that said, again, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Grayson) for this resolution.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Collins of New York). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that
the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 600,
as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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