IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 313 
Commending the people of the Republic of Liberia for holding peaceful na-
tional elections in 2005 and congratulating President Ellen Johnson- 
Sirleaf on her victory and becoming the first female president of any 
African country. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 8, 2005 
Mr. PAYNE (for himself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. 
MEEKS of New York, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Ms. WATSON, Mr. 
TANCREDO, and Ms. LEE) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Commending the people of the Republic of Liberia for hold-
ing peaceful national elections in 2005 and congratu-
lating President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on her victory and 
becoming the first female president of any African coun-
try. 
Whereas between April 25 and May 21, 2005, more than 1.3 
million Liberians, which accounted for 87 percent of the 
eligible voters in the Republic of Liberia, registered to 
vote in the October 11, 2005, national elections; 
Whereas the Liberian National Elections Commission vali-
dated 22 presidential candidates, 22 vice-presidential can-
•HCON 313 IH 
didates, 206 senatorial candidates, and 512 congressional 
candidates for the national elections; 
Whereas 74.1 percent of registered voters in Liberia took 
part in the national elections, some lining up for hours; 
Whereas because no presidential candidate received over 50 
percent of the vote, a run-off election was scheduled for 
November 8, 2005, between the two front-runners—Ms. 
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Mr. George Weah; 
Whereas on November 8, 2005, Liberians again peacefully 
assembled to participate in this historic process; 
Whereas the final tabulation of votes from the run-off elec-
tion indicates that Ms. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf won the 
presidency of Liberia with 59 percent of the votes; 
Whereas the victory of Ms. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf marks an 
important milestone for Africa because Ms. Johnson- 
Sirleaf will be the first elected female president in Afri-
can history; 
Whereas the people of Liberian have suffered from repressive 
and corrupt political leadership, including that of Samuel 
Doe, who led a coup that ousted President William 
Tolbert in 1980; 
Whereas in 1989, Charles Taylor, an accused embezzler and 
United States prison escapee, led an insurrection and fo-
mented a devastating civil war that claimed more than 
200,000 Liberian lives, resulted in gross human rights 
abuses, and forced half of the Liberian population to flee 
as refugees to neighboring countries or to become inter-
nally displaced persons within Liberia; 
Whereas mediation and efforts by the Economic Community 
of West African States (ECOWAS), and the signing of 
a peace agreement in 1995 and an addendum thereof in
•HCON 313 IH 
1996, paved the way for elections in 1997 in which 
Charles Taylor was elected President of Liberia; 
Whereas President Charles Taylor and his government failed 
to effectively pursue national political reconciliation, build 
institutions, or improve socio-economic conditions for the 
people of Liberia; 
Whereas President Charles Taylor continued to aid and abet 
an insurrection against the Government of Sierra Leone 
by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), a brutal rebel 
group known for amputating the limbs of innocent chil-
dren and causing prolonged suffering among Sierra 
Leoneans until January 2002; 
Whereas President Charles Taylor and officials within his 
government profited openly from the illicit trade in 
‘‘blood diamonds’’ and exploited natural resources for pri-
vate gain; 
Whereas the regime of President Charles Taylor failed to ad-
here to the rule of law, repressed the independent press, 
created an atmosphere of public intimidation, operated 
with little or no accountability or transparency, harassed 
and imprisoned civil society leaders, and routinely vio-
lated human rights; 
Whereas on June 17, 2003, the Government of Liberia, Libe-
rians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), 
and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) 
signed the Agreement on Ceasefire and the Cessation of 
Hostilities (hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Ceasefire 
Agreement)’’ to halt Liberia’s civil war and bring re-
newed hope for the people of Liberia; 
Whereas the Ceasefire Agreement states that immediately fol-
lowing the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement, the Gov-
•HCON 313 IH 
ernment of Liberia, LURD, and MODEL, with all other 
Liberian political parties and stakeholders, would partici-
pate in a dialogue to seek, within a period of 30 days, 
a comprehensive peace agreement and the formation of a 
transitional government; 
Whereas on August 18, 2003, the involved parties signed the 
Comprehensive Peace Agreement and shortly thereafter 
peacekeepers from the Economic Community of West Af-
rican States (ECOWAS) and the ECOWAS Mission in 
Liberia (ECOMIL) were deployed to Liberia to end the 
fighting by observing and enforcing the Ceasefire Agree-
ment as well as to facilitate the distribution of relief aid; 
Whereas in September 2003, the United Nations Mission in 
Liberia (UNMIL) absorbed ECOMIL and took over the 
responsibilities of peacekeeping, civilian policing, facili-
tating the safe return of over 500,000 internally dis-
placed persons and refugees in neighboring countries, and 
aiding in the delivery of humanitarian assistance and 
goods; 
Whereas UNMIL committed to assist the National Transi-
tional Government of Liberia (NTGL) in the implementa-
tion of the Disarmament, Demobilization, Re-integration 
and Rehabilitation (DDRR) program, whose aim is to re- 
incorporate into civilian life socially and economically an 
estimated 101,000 combatants, among them 11,000 child 
soldiers under the age of 18; 
Whereas on October 14, 2003, the NTGL, headed by Chair-
man Gyude Bryant, took office with the task of re-estab-
lishing a governmental authority and helping organize 
national elections within two years;
•HCON 313 IH 
Whereas the United States and Liberia have a long, historic 
relationship beginning in the 19th century when freed 
slaves from the United States founded the Republic of 
Liberia with a grant of $100,000 from President James 
Monroe and thousands of free Black Americans from the 
United States immigrated to Liberia and declared their 
independence; and 
Whereas in spite of its troubled domestic political history and 
disappointing political leadership, Liberia has been a 
strong political ally of the United States, including pro-
viding a base for the Allies in West Africa during World 
War I, allowing United States troops to be based in the 
country during World War II, and permitting the con-
struction of a Voice of America transmitter to cover the 
entire African continent to expose Soviet propaganda 
during the cold war: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) commends the people of the Republic of Li-
beria for holding peaceful national elections in 2005 
and congratulating President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf 
on her victory and becoming the first female presi-
dent of any African country; 
(2) commends the Government and people of 
Liberia for their commitment to the democratic ren-
aissance of Liberia; 
(3) commends the Liberian National Election 
Commission for conducting the 2005 national elec-
•HCON 313 IH 
tions in a free and fair manner and for investigating 
election complaints; 
(4) applauds the candidates and their sup-
porters, the United Nations, the Economic Commu-
nity of West African States (ECOWAS), and the 
Government of the United States for their role in 
helping Liberia carry out the 2005 national elec-
tions; 
(5) urges all political and civic leaders in Libe-
ria to continue to lead the country into a sustained 
peaceful transition to democracy; 
(6) acknowledges and welcomes the strong and 
long-standing relationship between the United States 
and Liberia and expresses its firm commitment to 
continuing efforts by the people and Government of 
Liberia to forge ahead toward the establishment of 
a full democracy and a sustainable economy; and 
(7) pledges its continued support to lasting 
peace and democracy in Liberia and to the further 
development of Liberia. 
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