IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1716 
Urging the Government of Belarus to conduct a free and fair presidential 
election on December 19, 2010, and expressing support for the 
Belarusian people’s desire for democratic government that respects 
human rights and the rule of law. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 16, 2010 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Urging the Government of Belarus to conduct a free and 
fair presidential election on December 19, 2010, and 
expressing support for the Belarusian people’s desire for 
democratic government that respects human rights and 
the rule of law. 
Whereas since his 1994 election as President of Belarus, Al-
exander Lukashenka has established himself as a dic-
tator, abusing executive authority and maintaining him-
self in office through a series of fundamentally flawed 
and fraudulent presidential and parliamentary elections 
and constitutional referenda; 
Whereas the Government of Belarus has regularly violated 
basic freedoms of speech, expression, assembly, associa-
tion, and religion; 
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•HRES 1716 IH 
Whereas the Government of Belarus has regularly subjected 
independent media, nongovernmental organizations, inde-
pendent trade unions, churches and religious groups, and 
democratic opposition leaders to harassment, arrest, de-
tention, and violence; 
Whereas credible allegations and evidence link top officials of 
the Government of Belarus with the disappearance of op-
position figures Yuri Zakharenka, Viktor Gonchar, and 
Anatoly Krasovsky in 1999 and journalist Dmitry 
Zavadsky in 2000, and the Government of Belarus has 
failed to make a serious effort to bring to justice any of 
those responsible for the disappearance of these persons; 
Whereas the Government of Belarus maintains monopoly con-
trol over the Belarusian media and actively suppresses 
freedom of speech and expression, including by engaging 
in reprisals against independent media and imposing sur-
veillance of the Internet; 
Whereas, on October 27, 2010, Dunja Mijatovic´, the Organi-
zation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 
Representative on Freedom of the Media, urged the Gov-
ernment of Belarus to bring ‘‘the media situation more 
in line with the OSCE commitments’’, noting that im-
provement was ‘‘sorely needed as pluralism was non-ex-
isting in the broadcasting sector, restricted in the print 
media and vulnerable on the Internet’’; 
Whereas the Government of Belarus has not honored its 
OSCE commitments, including specific provisions of the 
1990 Copenhagen Document, with respect to democratic 
elections; 
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•HRES 1716 IH 
Whereas presidential or parliamentary elections conducted by 
the Government of Belarus in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 
and 2008 were fundamentally unfair and undemocratic; 
Whereas the last presidential election, held in March 2006, 
failed to meet OSCE standards for democratic elections, 
and was further discredited by abuses of state authority, 
including the detention of numerous opposition figures, in 
which the Government of Belarus violated basic rights to 
freedom of assembly, association, and expression; 
Whereas the actions of the Government of Belarus in connec-
tion with the December 19, 2010, presidential election 
will demonstrate whether it is willing to implement OSCE 
standards and develop toward democratic government 
that respects human rights and the rule of law; 
Whereas the September 27, 2010, through September 29, 
2010, OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and 
Human Rights (ODIHR) Needs Assessment Mission Re-
port for the December 19 presidential election noted that 
while Belarusian electoral legislation has recently been 
improved, serious concerns remain, and the electoral leg-
islation requires further improvement in order to meet 
OSCE obligations; 
Whereas Government of Belarus officials have been respon-
sible for administrative harassment of and pressure on 
opposition politicians, as well as some media and civil so-
ciety groups, in the lead-up to the December 19, 2010, 
presidential election; 
Whereas the United States remains committed to supporting 
those within Belarus who work toward a democratic 
Belarus that respects human rights and the rule of law, 
maintain the national independence of Belarus, and pro-
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•HRES 1716 IH 
mote the integration of Belarus into the European family 
of nations and global society; and 
Whereas Congress passed the Belarus Democracy Act of 
2004 (Public Law 108–347) and Belarus Democracy Re-
authorization Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–480) as ex-
pressions of support consistent with these aims: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) urges the Government of Belarus to act in 
accordance with its stated intention to conduct the 
December 19, 2010, election in a manner consistent 
with OSCE commitments, including by respecting 
fundamental freedoms, permitting all contestants to 
campaign freely, protecting the integrity of early 
voting, and ensuring an open and transparent vot-
ing, counting, and tabulation process; 
(2) urges the Government of Belarus to meet 
its OSCE obligations regarding democratic elections, 
including to meet OSCE standards on free and fair 
elections as defined in the 1990 Copenhagen Docu-
ment; 
(3) supports the Belarusian people’s desire for 
democratic government that respects human rights 
and the rule of law; 
(4) asserts that it is in the national interests of 
the United States that Belarus remain an inde-
pendent state, and become more democratic, respect-
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ful of human rights and the rule of law, and inte-
grated into the European family of nations and glob-
al society; and 
(5) remains open to reevaluating United States 
policy toward Belarus as warranted by demonstrable 
progress in respect of democracy, human rights, and 
the rule of law. 
Æ 
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