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[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 285 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 285

 Expressing the sense of the Senate that all necessary steps should be 
  taken to ensure the elections to be held in Gabon are free and fair.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

              October 5 (legislative day, October 2), 1998

Mr. Lugar submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

             October 21 (legislative day, October 2), 1998

        Committee discharged; considered, amended, and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate that all necessary steps should be 
  taken to ensure the elections to be held in Gabon are free and fair.

Whereas Gabon is a heavily forested and oil-rich country on the west coast of 
        Central Africa;
Whereas Gabon gained independence from France in 1960;
Whereas Gabon is scheduled to hold national elections in December 1998 for the 
        purpose of electing a President;
Whereas the Government of Gabon was subject to single-party rule until 1990 and 
        only one person has held the office of the President since 1967;
Whereas the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) and the African 
        American Institute (AAI) served as observers during the organization of 
        the 1993 Presidential and legislative elections in Gabon and found 
        widespread electoral irregularities;
Whereas the Government of Gabon is a signatory to the Paris Accords of 1994, 
        which was approved by national referendum in July 1995, and was 
        instituted to provide for a state of law guaranteeing basic individual 
        freedoms and the organization of free and fair elections under a new 
        independent national election commission;
Whereas the people of Gabon have demonstrated their support for the democratic 
        process through the formation of numerous political parties since 1990 
        and their strong participation in prior elections; and
Whereas it is in the interest of the United States to promote political and 
        economic freedom in Africa and throughout the world: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes and commends those Gabonese who have demonstrated 
        their love for free and fair elections;
            (2) commends the Government of Gabon for inviting the International 
        Foundation for Election Systems to perform a pre-election assessment 
        study;
            (3) calls on the Government of Gabon to--
                    (A) take further measures to ensure the organization and 
                administration of a transparent and credible election and to 
                ensure that the national election commission is able to 
                independently carry out its duties; and
                    (B) further welcome the International Foundation for 
                Election Systems, the National Democratic Institute, the 
                International Republican Institute, and other appropriate 
                national and international nongovernmental organizations to aid 
                the organization of, and to monitor, the December 1998 
                Presidential election in Gabon, in an effort to assist the 
                government in ensuring that the elections are free and fair;
            (4) urges the United States Government to continue to work with the 
        international community, and through appropriate nongovernmental 
        organizations, to help create an environment which guarantees free and 
        fair elections; and
            (5) urges the United States Government and the international 
        community to continue to encourage and support the institutionalization 
        of democratic processes and the establishment of conditions for good 
        governance in Gabon.
                                 <all>
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