III

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 in December of 1998 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

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that all necessary steps

should be taken to ensure the elections to be held in

Gabon in December of 1998 are free and fair.

Whereas Gabon is a heavily forested and oil-rich country on

central Africa’s west coast;

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 has been subject to single-party rule for a significant period of its recent history

and only 1 person has held the office of the President

since 1967;
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Whereas the Freedom House Survey of World Freedom,

1997–1998, determined that ‘‘Gabon’s citizens have

never been able to exercise their constitutional right to

change their government democratically’’;

Whereas the International Foundation for Election Systems

(IFES) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI)

served as observers during the organization of the 1993

Presidential and legislative elections in Garbon and found

widespread electoral irregularities;

Whereas the Government of Gabon is a signatory to the

‘‘Paris Accords’’ of 1994, approved by national referendum in July 1995, which were to have provided 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

1 Resolved, That the Senate—

2 (1) recognizes and commends those Gabonese

3 who have demonstrated their love for free and fair

4 elections;

5 (2) commends the Gabonese Government for in6 viting the International Foundation for Election

7 Systems to perform a pre-election assessment study;
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1 (3) calls on the Gabonese Government—

2 (A) to take measures to help ensure a

3 credible election and to ensure that the election

4 commission remains independent and impartial;

5 and

6 (B) to invite the International Foundation

7 for Election Systems, the National Democratic

8 Institute, the International Republic Institute,

9 and other appropriate international non-govern10 mental organizations to aid the organization of,

11 and supervise the December 1998 Presidential

12 election in Gabon, in an effort to ensure that

13 these elections in Gabon are free and fair;

14 (4) urges the Government of Gabon to take all

15 necessary and lawful steps toward conducting free

16 and fair elections;

17 (5) calls on the international community to join

18 the United States in offering their assistance toward

19 free and fair elections;

20 (6) urges the United States Government to pro21 vide support directly and through appropriate non22 governmental organizations to aid the organization

23 of free and fair elections in Gabon;

24 (7) calls on the United States Government to

25 work with the international community in urging the
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1 Government of Gabon to create the conditions nec2 essary to guarantee free and fair elections; and

3 (8) urges the United States Government and

4 the international community to continue to encour5 age the Government of Gabon to ensure a lasting

6 and committed transition to democracy.

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