III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 56 

Urging the Government of Moldova to ensure a fair and democratic election 

process for the parliamentary elections on April 5, 2009. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2009 

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

Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Urging the Government of Moldova to ensure a fair and 

democratic election process for the parliamentary elections on April 5, 2009. 

Whereas Senate Resolution 60, 110th Congress, agreed to 

February 17, 2005, expressed the support of the Senate 

for democratic reform in Moldova and urged the Government of Moldova to ensure a democratic and fair election 

process for the parliamentary elections on March 6, 

2005, by ensuring ‘‘unimpeded access by all parties and 

candidates to print, radio, television, and Internet media 

on a nondiscriminatory basis’’ and ‘‘the right of opposition candidates and workers to engage in campaigning 

free of harassment, discrimination, and intimidation’’; 

Whereas the Election Observation Mission of the Office for 

Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OrgaVerDate Nov 24 2008 01:36 Feb 26, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR56.IS SR56

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•SRES 56 IS 

nization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 

(OSCE) found that, while the parliamentary elections in 

2005 generally complied with most of the OSCE commitments and other international standards, ‘‘they fell short 

of some that are central to a genuinely competitive election process’’, in particular ‘‘campaign conditions and access to media’’, confirming the ‘‘negative trends already 

noted in the 2003 local elections’’; 

Whereas the Election Observation Mission found that the 

local elections held in June 2007 in Moldova were generally well administered but ‘‘fell short of a number of 

OSCE commitments central to a competitive electoral 

process’’, in particular by not fully respecting ‘‘the right 

of citizens to seek public office and equitable media access’’; 

Whereas Freedom House, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization working to advance the expansion of freedom, again 

in 2008 designated the political environment of Moldova 

as only ‘‘partly free’’; 

Whereas political liberties and civil rights are key indicators 

of eligibility for support from the Millennium Challenge 

Corporation, an entity of the United States Government, 

which is now considering a sizeable grant for the economic and political development of Moldova; and 

Whereas recent actions by entities of the Government of 

Moldova raise serious questions about the readiness of 

the Government of Moldova to break free from the unfortunate patterns established in the elections in 2003, 

2005, and 2007 and to create the campaign conditions 

and access to media required for truly free and fair elections: Now, therefore, be it 


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•SRES 56 IS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) reaffirms the strong, mutually beneficial re3 lationship that exists between the United States 

4 Government and the Government of Moldova; 

5 (2) recognizes that the development of a genu6 inely democratic political system in Moldova is a pre7 condition for the full integration of Moldova into the 

8 Western community of nations and the provision of 

9 assistance necessary to attain such integration; 

10 (3) urges the Government of Moldova to meet 

11 its commitments to the Organization for Security 

12 and Co-operation in Europe, especially in respect to 

13 the conduct of elections, by guaranteeing— 

14 (A) unimpeded access by all parties and 

15 candidates to public print, radio, television, and 

16 Internet media on a nondiscriminatory basis; 

17 (B) the ability of independent media to 

18 cover campaigns on an unrestricted basis; 

19 (C) the right of opposition candidates and 

20 workers to engage in campaigning free of har21 assment, discrimination, and intimidation; and 

22 (D) adequate means for citizens of 

23 Moldova residing abroad to cast their ballots; 

24 and 


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•SRES 56 IS 

1 (4) in light of the steps taken by the Govern2 ment of Moldova, pledges the continued support of 

3 the United States Government for the establishment 

4 in Moldova of a fully free and democratic system, 

5 the creation of a prosperous market economy, and 

6 the assumption by Moldova of its rightful place as 

7 a full and equal member of the Western community 

8 of democracies. 

Æ 


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