IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1337 

Condemning the decision by the Government of Zimbabwe to hold the runoff presidential election on June 27, 2008. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 10, 2008 

Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. DREIER, Mr. 

FATTAH, Ms. TSONGAS, and Mr. HINCHEY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the decision by the Government of Zimbabwe 

to hold the run-off presidential election on June 27, 2008. 

Whereas President Robert Mugabe, leader of the Zimbabwe 

African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF), has 

controlled Zimbabwe for the past 28 years; 

Whereas since 1998 Zimbabwe’s economic output has decreased 40 percent and its unemployment is estimated at 

more than 80 percent; 

Whereas deteriorating social, economic, and political conditions within the country have caused approximately 

3,000,000 citizens to leave Zimbabwe and seek refuge in 

neighboring nations; 

Whereas according to the Zimbabwe Election Commission 

(ZEC), Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for 


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•HRES 1337 IH 

Democratic Change (MDC) won 47.8 percent of the vote 

during the presidential elections on March 29, 2008, and 

President Mugabe won 43.2 percent; 

Whereas according to the ZEC, since neither candidate won 

over 50 percent, a runoff was declared; 

Whereas President Mugabe made statements declaring his refusal to step down regardless of the March 2008 or runoff election results; 

Whereas over 900 people have been tortured and 87 confirmed dead since the announcement of a second round 

of elections; 

Whereas over 300 persons from the MDC have been arrested 

and detained since the first round of elections; 

Whereas the escalating violence and resistance from the 

ZANU–PF has forced Tsvangirai to pull out of the race 

and seek refuge at the Dutch embassy; 

Whereas the death toll, violence, and instability in Zimbabwe 

only continue to intensify; 

Whereas United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has 

asked Zimbabwe to postpone its run-off elections stating 

that a vote during the current conditions would ‘‘lack all 

legitimacy’’; 

Whereas during the second round of elections on June 27, 

2008, many Zimbabweans were forced to go to the polls 

after being intimidated and threatened by militia forces; 

Whereas Tsvangirai spoke out against the elections and encouraged his supporters to vote only if their lives were in 

danger; 


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•HRES 1337 IH 

Whereas news agencies such as CNN were barred from entering Zimbabwe and reporting on the second round of elections; 

Whereas, on June 29, 2008, in a sham proceeding, Robert 

Mugabe was sworn in as President of the Republic of 

Zimbabwe having declared himself the winner of the runoff election; 

Whereas since the second round of elections over 500 

Zimbabweans have been forced to take refuge at foreign 

embassies and it has been estimated that 20 more MDC 

supporters have been killed; 

Whereas opposition leaders, international observers and heads 

of state, including United States President George W. 

Bush, have denounced the results of the election calling 

it a ‘‘sham’’; 

Whereas the G8 leaders have spoken out against the violence 

in Zimbabwe and have decided to impose targeted sanctions against members of the Zimbabwean Government 

who are ‘‘responsible for violence’’; 

Whereas the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) have been engaged in efforts to help end the violence in Zimbabwe by appointing 

a mediator and contributing other resources, including 

election observers; 

Whereas G8 leaders have called for a special United Nations 

Security Council envoy to report on the situation in 

Zimbabwe and help mediate along with Thabo Mbeki, the 

SADC appointed mediator; 

Whereas President Mugabe is in violation of his obligation to 

the AU, breaking several of the principles outlined in article 3 and article 4 of the AU’s Constitutive Act; and 


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•HRES 1337 IH 

Whereas Zimbabwean citizens, especially as members of the 

AU, have a right to democratic freedoms, fundamental 

human rights, good governance, and a just rule of law: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the decision by the Government 

3 of Zimbabwe to hold the run-off presidential election 

4 on June 27, 2008; 

5 (2) states that in the absence of a free and fair 

6 vote in a run-off election, the legitimacy of the 

7 Mugabe regime has been so seriously undermined 

8 that Robert Mugabe must step down; 

9 (3) stands ready to work with the President of 

10 the United States and the international community 

11 to enhance United States political, diplomatic, and 

12 economic sanctions against the government of Rob13 ert Mugabe; 

14 (4) calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe to 

15 engage in dialogue with the leadership of the Move16 ment for Democratic Change for the purpose of 

17 forming an interim government of national unity 

18 that will work to schedule a new presidential election 

19 as soon as practicable; 

20 (5) calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe to 

21 allow full and unrestricted access for international 

22 humanitarian organizations and human rights monVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:19 Jul 11, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1337.IH HR1337

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•HRES 1337 IH 

1 itors and to take all necessary steps to ensure their 

2 safety and their ability to operate without hindrance; 

3 (6) calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe to 

4 ensure full and unrestricted access for international 

5 journalists and to take all necessary steps to ensure 

6 the safety of international and local journalists and 

7 their ability to operate without hindrance; 

8 (7) calls upon the African Union, consistent 

9 with its charter, to take immediate steps to sanction 

10 politically, diplomatically, and economically the gov11 ernment of Robert Mugabe; 

12 (8) calls upon the Southern African Develop13 ment Community, consistent with its charter, to take 

14 immediate steps to sanction politically, diplomati15 cally, and economically the government of Robert 

16 Mugabe; 

17 (9) urges the Government of the Republic of 

18 South Africa to press the government of Robert 

19 Mugabe to engage in dialogue with the leadership of 

20 the Movement for Democratic Change for the pur21 pose of forming an interim government of national 

22 unity that will work to schedule a new presidential 

23 election as soon as practicable; and 

24 (10) calls upon the United Nations Security 

25 Council to take immediate steps to end the violence 


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1 in Zimbabwe, impose an immediate arms embargo 

2 on Zimbabwe, and press the government of Robert 

3 Mugabe to engage in dialogue with the leadership of 

4 the Movement for Democratic Change for the pur5 pose of forming an interim government of national 

6 unity that will work to schedule a new presidential 

7 election as soon as practicable. 

Æ 


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