IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 404

Congratulating the people and Governments of Argentina, Chile, Guatemala,

and Uruguay for completing their recent and successful democratic national elections.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 27, 2000

Mr. GALLEGLY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Congratulating the people and Governments of Argentina,

Chile, Guatemala, and Uruguay for completing their recent and successful democratic national elections.

Whereas on October 24, 1999, approximately 20 million Argentines, representing 80 percent of all registered voters

went to the polls, and elected a new President for the

first time in 10 years;

Whereas this election, the fourth successive free Presidential

election in Argentina since democracy was restored in

1983, was celebrated as a true consolidation of democracy by both major political parties;

Whereas on November 23, 1999, with close to 95 percent

of the 2.2 million registered voters going to the polls, the

people of Uruguay elected their first President since the
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implementation of new constitutional reforms enacted in

1996;

Whereas this election, the fourth consecutive free, democratic,

Presidential election held in Uruguay since the end of

military rule, reflects the deepening of democracy in that

country;

Whereas on November 7, 1999, the people of Guatemala went

to the polls to elect national leaders for the first time

since the signing of the 1996 peace accords which ended

over 30 years of internal conflict;

Whereas on December 26, 1999, 41 percent of the registered

voters of Guatemala completed the second round of what

has been called the most important election in Guatemala’s modern history by electing a new President;

Whereas on January 16, 2000, with close to 7 million of the

8 million registered voters going to the polls, the people

of Chile completed their second round of voting for a new

executive and elected the first Chilean President representing the center-left coalition since 1973;

Whereas the January election represents rising expectations

that a strong economic and cultural consolidation may

take place in the southern portion of Latin America;

Whereas all of these elections demonstrate the strength and

diversity of each nation’s democracy and signal a growing

confidence that all political parties, however diverse, can

work cooperatively to strengthen the consolidation of democracy in the hemisphere; and

Whereas these open, fair, and democratic elections should be

broadly commended: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
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1 (1) congratulates the people and Governments

2 of Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, and Uruguay for

3 the successful completion of democratic multiparty

4 elections for President;

5 (2) congratulates Presidents Fernando de La

6 Rua of Argentina, Jorge Battle of Uruguay, Alfonso

7 Portillo of Guatemala, and Ricardo Lagos of Chile

8 on their recent election victories and their strong

9 commitment to democracy and free-market oriented

10 economies;

11 (3) commends all the citizens and political par12 ties of Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, and Uruguay

13 for their participation in the democratic process and

14 their strong support for the strengthening of their

15 democracies; and

16 (4) reaffirms United States friendship with

17 each nation and our unequivocal commitment to en18 couraging democracy and peaceful development

19 throughout Latin America.

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