This resolution calls on Côte d'Ivoire to publicly commit to free, fair, peaceful, and transparent elections, and it reaffirms that the United States will continue to stand with the people of Côte d'Ivoire in support of peace, democracy, religious and ethnic tolerance, and stability.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1150 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1150
Urging the Government of Cote d'Ivoire, opposition leaders, and all
citizens to respect democratic principles, refrain from violence, and
hold free, fair, transparent, and peaceful elections in October 2020.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 24, 2020
Mr. Phillips (for himself, Ms. Bass, and Mr. Yoho) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Urging the Government of Cote d'Ivoire, opposition leaders, and all
citizens to respect democratic principles, refrain from violence, and
hold free, fair, transparent, and peaceful elections in October 2020.
Whereas it is in the interest of the United States to maintain a strong
relationship with a democratic, peaceful, stable, and economically
prosperous Cote d'Ivoire whose leaders prioritize good governance, the
rule of law, and respect for human rights;
Whereas the United States and Cote d'Ivoire have a strong bilateral relationship
with important cooperation on economic interests, regional stability,
and counterterrorism priorities, and efforts to advance health and
development objectives;
Whereas Cote d'Ivoire has a presidential election scheduled for October 31,
2020;
Whereas previous transitions of power have been marred by conflict and violence
against civilians, including most recently in 2010-2011, when 3,000
civilians were killed during an election-related dispute;
Whereas the root causes of past political violence--including religious and
ethnoregional tensions, contestation over land, politicization of the
judiciary and concerns over due process, and a lack of professionalism,
adequate training, and civilian control over the security forces--have
not been adequately addressed;
Whereas political leaders have previously manipulated and exploited religious,
ethnic, and regional identities and economic grievances to incite
violence including through incidents of hateful and divisive speech
occurring both in person and online;
Whereas President Ouattara's decision to stand for a third term, despite a two-
term limit in the constitution, has heightened tensions, and several
citizens have been killed and dozens more injured or arrested amid
protests against his candidacy;
Whereas political violence in Cote d'Ivoire could threaten the region's
stability and economic development prospects, and undermine efforts to
counter violent extremism and terrorist activity;
Whereas the Government of Cote d'Ivoire must protect the health and safety of
its citizens and prevent the spread of COVID-19 while also ensuring
credible elections and enabling the participation of all voters;
Whereas the Government of the United States is deeply committed to efforts to
prevent conflict and atrocities and address the root causes of
fragility, as evidenced by the enactment of the Global Fragility Act of
2019 and the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018;
and
Whereas the United States Embassy in Cote d'Ivoire issued a statement on August
25, 2020, ``supporting free, transparent, and inclusive elections in
Cote d'Ivoire'' and urging ``all parties, groups and individuals to
refrain from violence and hateful/divisive speech and to choose dialogue
to find peaceful solutions to their disagreements'': Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) reaffirms that the United States will continue to stand
with the people of Cote d'Ivoire in support of peace,
democracy, religious and ethnic tolerance, and stability;
(2) calls upon the Government of Cote d'Ivoire and all
political parties to--
(A) protect all civilians from violence and support
their right to peacefully demonstrate;
(B) condemn all forms of hate speech and incitement
of violence while maintaining citizens' open access to
information;
(C) publicly commit to free, fair, peaceful, and
transparent elections and make clear that all Ivorians,
including security forces, government officials,
political opposition members, and the media, will be
held accountable for inciting or perpetrating violence;
(D) support an independent investigation into the
killings of civilians during demonstrations;
(E) support efforts to implement public health
protocols to prevent further spread of COVID-19 and
ensure safe participation of all voters on election
day; and
(F) request the electoral observation services of
the African Union or the Economic Community of West
African States, and grant full access to election
observers;
(3) encourages civil society organizations, local
communities, and religious leaders to--
(A) remain united in calls for peace, nonviolence,
tolerance, and democracy; and
(B) work to educate voters about the electoral
process in order to combat disinformation and violence;
and
(4) calls upon the United States Government and
international partners to--
(A) continue to condemn violence against peaceful
demonstrators and hate speech that promotes such
actions, including posts on social media, and urge all
political parties to publicly commit to free, fair,
peaceful, and transparent elections;
(B) continue to support election preparation
efforts, including through assistance to the
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), capacity
building for civil society and local leaders, voter
education programs, development of election day
protocols, violence prevention programs, support for
election observation, and human rights and atrocities
prevention monitoring; and
(C) call for and support an independent
investigation into the killings of civilians during
demonstrations.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
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