109TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 16
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas the establishment of a democratic, transparent, and
fair election process for the 2004 presidential election in
Ukraine and of a genuinely democratic political system
have been prerequisites for that country’s full integration
into the international community of democracies;
Whereas the Government of Ukraine has accepted numerous
specific commitments governing the conduct of elections
•HCON 16 EH
as a participating State of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE);
Whereas the election of Ukraine’s next president was seen as
an unambiguous test of the extent of the Ukrainian au-
thorities’ commitment to implement these standards and
build a democratic society based on free elections and the
rule of law;
Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires govern-
ment and public authorities to ensure that candidates
and political parties enjoy equal treatment before the law
and that government resources are not employed to the
advantage of individual candidates or political parties;
Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires the full
transparency of laws and regulations governing elections,
multiparty representation on election commissions, and
unobstructed access by candidates, political parties, and
domestic and international observers to all election proce-
dures, including voting and vote-counting in all areas of
the country;
Whereas efforts by national and local officials and others act-
ing at the behest of such officials to impose obstacles to
free assembly, free speech, and a free and fair political
campaign took place throughout Ukraine during the en-
tire 2004 presidential election campaign without con-
demnation or remedial action by the Government of
Ukraine;
Whereas on October 31, 2004, Ukraine held the first round
of its presidential election and on November 21, 2004,
Ukraine held a runoff presidential election between the
two 
leading 
candidates, 
Prime 
Minister 
Viktor
Yanukovich and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko;
•HCON 16 EH
Whereas a consensus of Ukrainian and international election
observers determined that the runoff election did not
meet a considerable number of international standards
for democratic elections, and these observers specifically
declared that state resources were abused in support of
Viktor Yanukovich, and that illegal voting by absentee
ballot, multiple voting, assaults on electoral observers and
journalists, and the use of counterfeit ballots were wide-
spread;
Whereas following the runoff presidential election on Novem-
ber 21, 2004, tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens en-
gaged in peaceful demonstrations in Kiev and elsewhere
to protest the unfair election and the declaration by the
Ukrainian Central Election Commission that Viktor
Yanukovich had won a majority of the votes;
Whereas the Ukrainian Supreme Court blocked the publica-
tion of the official runoff election results thus preventing
the inauguration of the next president of Ukraine until
the Supreme Court examined the reports of voter fraud;
Whereas on November 27, 2004, the Parliament of Ukraine
passed a resolution declaring that there were violations of
law during the runoff presidential election on November
21, 2004, and that the results of this election did not re-
flect the will of the Ukrainian people;
Whereas on December 1, 2004, the Parliament of Ukraine
passed a no confidence motion regarding the government
of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich;
Whereas European mediators and current Ukrainian Presi-
dent Leonid Kuchma began discussions on December 1,
2004, to attempt to work out a resolution to the standoff
between the supporters of both presidential candidates;
•HCON 16 EH
Whereas on December 3, 2004, the Ukrainian Supreme
Court ruled that the runoff presidential election on No-
vember 21, 2004, was invalid and ordered a new presi-
dential election to take place on December 26, 2004;
Whereas on December 8, 2004, the Parliament of Ukraine
passed laws to reform the Ukrainian electoral process, in-
cluding to reconstitute the Ukrainian Central Election
Commission, and to close loopholes for fraud in prepara-
tion for a new presidential election;
Whereas on December 26, 2004, the people of Ukraine again
went to the polls to elect the next president of Ukraine
in what the consensus of domestic and international ob-
servers declared as a more democratic, transparent, and
fair election process with fewer problems than the pre-
vious two rounds;
Whereas on January 10, 2005, the election victory of opposi-
tion leader Viktor Yushchenko was certified by the
Ukrainian Central Election Commission; and
Whereas the runoff presidential election on December 26,
2004, signifies a turning point for Ukraine which offers
new hope and opportunity to the people of Ukraine: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress—
(1) commends the people and Government of
Ukraine for their commitment to democracy and
their determination to end the political crisis in that
country in a peaceful and democratic manner;
•HCON 16 EH
(2) congratulates the people and Government of
Ukraine for ensuring a free and fair runoff presi-
dential election which represents the true choice of
the Ukrainian people;
(3) congratulates Viktor Yushchenko on his
election as President of Ukraine;
(4) applauds the Ukrainian presidential can-
didates, the European Union and other European
representatives, and the United States Government
for the role they played in helping to find a peaceful
resolution of the crisis;
(5) acknowledges and welcomes the strong rela-
tionship formed between the United States and
Ukraine and expresses its strong and continuing
support for the efforts of the Ukrainian people and
the new Government of Ukraine to establish a full
democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human
rights; and
(6) pledges its assistance to the strengthening
of a fully free and open democratic system in
Ukraine, the creation of a prosperous free market
economy in Ukraine, the reaffirmation of Ukraine’s
independence 
and 
territorial 
sovereignty, 
and
•HCON 16 EH
Ukraine’s full integration into the international com-
munity of democracies.
Passed the House of Representatives January 25,
2005.
Attest:
Clerk.
109TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 16
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Congratulating the people of Ukraine for con-
ducting a democratic, transparent, and fair run-
off presidential election on December 26, 2004,
and congratulating Viktor Yushchenko on his
election as President of Ukraine and his commit-
ment to democracy and reform.