[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10443-10444]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN THE 
                          REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to Calendar No. 420, S. Res. 283.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 283) recognizing the successful 
     completion of democratic elections in the Republic of 
     Colombia.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Wellstone 
amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to; that the resolution, as 
amended, be agreed to; that the preamble be agreed to; that the motion 
to reconsider be laid upon the table; and that any statements relating 
to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3849) was agreed to, as follows:
       On page 2, line 8, strike ``their continuing'' and insert 
     ``encourages their''.
       On page 3, line 18, strike ``to continue''.

  The resolution (S. Res. 283), as amended, was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 283

       Whereas on May 26, 2002, the Republic of Colombia 
     successfully completed democratic multiparty elections for 
     President and Vice President;
       Whereas these elections were deemed by international and 
     domestic observers, including the United Nations and the 
     Organization of American States, to be free, fair, and a 
     legitimate nonviolent expression of the will of the people of 
     the Republic of Colombia;
       Whereas the United States has consistently supported the 
     efforts of the people of the Republic of Colombia to 
     strengthen and continue their democracy;
       Whereas the Senate notes the courage of the millions of 
     citizens of the Republic of Colombia that turned out to vote 
     in order to freely and directly express their opinion; and
       Whereas these open, fair, and democratic elections of the 
     new President and Vice President of the Republic of Colombia, 
     and the speedy posting of election results, should be broadly 
     commended: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the government and the people of the 
     Republic of Colombia for the successful completion of 
     democratic elections held on May 26, 2002, for President and 
     Vice President;
       (2) congratulates President-elect Alvaro Uribe Velez and 
     Vice President-elect Francisco Santos Calderon on their 
     recent victory and encourages their strong commitment to 
     democracy, national reconciliation, and reconstruction;
       (3) congratulates Colombian President Andres Pastrana, who 
     has been a strong ally of the United States, a long-standing 
     supporter of peace process negotiations, and a builder of 
     national unity in the Republic of Colombia, for his personal 
     commitment to democracy;

[[Page 10444]]

       (4) commends all Colombian citizens and political parties 
     for their efforts to work together to take risks for 
     democracy and to willfully pursue national reconciliation in 
     order to cement a lasting peace and to strengthen democratic 
     traditions in the Republic of Colombia;
       (5) supports Colombian attempts to--
       (A) ensure democracy, national reconciliation, and economic 
     prosperity;
       (B) support human rights and rule of law; and
       (C) abide by all the essential elements of representative 
     democracy as enshrined in the Inter-American Democratic 
     Charter, Organization of American States, and United Nations 
     principles;
       (6) encourages the government and people of the Republic of 
     Colombia to continue their struggle against the evils of 
     narcotics and all forms of terrorism;
       (7) encourages the government of the Republic of Colombia 
     to promote--
       (A) the professionalism of the Colombian Armed Forces and 
     Colombian National Police; and
       (B) judicial and legal reforms; and
       (8) reaffirms that the United States is unequivocally 
     committed to encouraging and supporting democracy, human 
     rights, rule of law, and peaceful development in the Republic 
     of Colombia and throughout the Americas.

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