H. Res. 673

In the House of Representatives, U.S., 

March 8, 2006.

Whereas the establishment of a democratic, transparent, and 

fair election process for the 2006 presidential election in 

the Republic of Belarus and of a genuinely democratic 

political system are prerequisites for that country’s integration into the Western community of nations; 

Whereas the Government of Belarus has accepted numerous 

specific commitments governing the conduct of elections 

as a participating State of the Organization for Security 

and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including provisions 

of the 1990 Copenhagen Document; 

Whereas these commitments, which encourage transparency, 

balance, and impartiality in an election process, have become the standard by which observers determine whether 

elections have been conducted freely and fairly; 

Whereas the election on March 19, 2006, of the next president of Belarus will provide an unambiguous test of the 

extent of the commitment of the Belarusian authorities 

to implement these standards and build a democratic society based on free elections and the rule of law; 

Whereas previous elections in Belarus have not met international standards; 
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Whereas the 2004 vote on the constitutional referendum in 

Belarus did not meet international standards; 

Whereas it is the duty of government and public authorities 

at all levels to act in a manner consistent with all laws 

and regulations governing election procedures and to ensure free and fair elections throughout the entire country, 

including preventing activities aimed at undermining the 

free exercise of political rights; 

Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires a period 

of political campaigning conducted in an environment in 

which neither administrative action nor violence, intimidation, or detention hinder the parties, political associations, and the candidates from presenting their views and 

qualifications to the citizenry, including organizing supporters, conducting public meetings and events throughout the country, and enjoying unimpeded access to television, radio, print, and Internet media on an equal basis; 

Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires that citizens be guaranteed the right and effective opportunity to 

exercise their civil and political rights, including the right 

to vote free from intimidation, threats of political retribution, or other forms of coercion by national or local authorities or others; 

Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires the full 

transparency of laws and regulations governing elections, 

multiparty representation on election commissions, and 

unobstructed access by candidates, political parties, and 

domestic and international observers to all election procedures, including voting and vote-counting in all areas of 

the country; 
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Whereas control and manipulation of the media by national 

and local officials and others acting at their behest could 

raise grave concerns regarding the commitment of the 

Belarusian authorities to free and fair elections; 

Whereas efforts by national and local officials and others acting at their behest to impose obstacles to free assembly, 

free speech, and a free and fair political campaign will 

call into question the fairness of the upcoming election in 

Belarus; and 

Whereas the arrest or intimidation of opposition political parties and candidates, such as the leader of the Unified 

Democratic Forces and other people involved with the opposition, represents a deliberate assault on the democratic process: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) looks forward to the development of cordial relations between the United States and the Republic of 

Belarus; 

(2) emphasizes that a precondition for the integration of Belarus into the Western community of nations 

is its establishment of a genuinely democratic political 

system; 

(3) expresses its strong and continuing support for 

the efforts of the Belarusian people to establish a full 

democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights 

in Belarus; 

(4) urges the Government of Belarus to guarantee 

freedom of association and assembly, including the right 
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of candidates, members of political parties, and others to 

freely assemble, to organize and conduct public events, 

and to exercise these and other rights free from intimidation or harassment by national or local officials or 

others acting at their behest; 

(5) urges the Government of Belarus to meet its 

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 

(OSCE) standards and commitments on democratic elections, including the standards on free and fair elections 

as defined in the 1990 Copenhagen Document; 

(6) urges the Belarusian authorities to ensure—

(A) the full transparency of election procedures 

before, during, and after the 2006 presidential election; 

(B) unobstructed access by election monitors 

from the Office of Democratic Institutions and 

Human Rights (ODIHR), other participating States 

of the OSCE, Belarusian political parties, candidates’ representatives, nongovernmental organizations, and other private institutions and organizations—both foreign and domestic—to all aspects of 

the election process, including unimpeded access to 

public campaign events, candidates, news media, 

voting, and post-election tabulation of results and 

processing of election challenges and complaints; 
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(C) multiparty representation on all election 

commissions; 

(D) unimpeded access by all parties and candidates to print, radio, television, and Internet 

media on a non-discriminatory basis; 

(E) freedom of candidates, members of opposition parties, and independent media organizations 

from intimidation or harassment by government officials at all levels via selective tax audits and other 

regulatory and bureaucratic procedures, and in the 

case of media, license revocations and libel suits, 

among other measures; 

(F) a transparent process for complaint and 

appeals through electoral commissions and within 

the court system that provides timely and effective 

remedies; and 

(G) vigorous prosecution of any individual or 

organization responsible for violations of election 

laws or regulations, including the application of appropriate administrative or criminal penalties; 

(7) encourages the international community, including the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the OSCE 

Parliamentary Assembly, to continue their efforts to support democracy in Belarus and urges countries such as 

Lithuania and other Baltic countries and Nordic coun-
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tries to continue to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations and other Belarusian organizations 

involved in promoting democracy and fair elections in 

Belarus; and 

(8) pledges its support to the Belarusian people, 

their commitment to a fully free and open democratic 

system, their creation of a prosperous free market economy, and their country’s assumption of its rightful place 

as a full and equal member of the Western community 

of democracies.

Attest: 

Clerk.