WASHINGTON– Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), introduced a resolution congratulating the people of Ukraine for holding free, fair, and transparent parliamentary elections on September 30, 2007. In addition, the resolution commends Ukraine for holding peaceful elections consistent with its democratic values and national interest, in keeping with its commitments as a participating State of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Hastings was joined by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), a former Chair of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and Helsinki Commissioners Ranking Minority Member Congressman Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Congresswoman Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY), Congressman Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA), Congresswoman Hilda Solis (D-CA), Congressman Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL), Congressman G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA), Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI), and Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ) as original co-sponsors of the resolution.
“Elections are not an exercise in expediency, but rather in accuracy. I congratulate the people of Ukraine for holding free, fair, and transparent elections on September 30. And while uncertainty in forming a new government still remains, Ukraine has continued down a path of democratic development and not turned back from the 2004 Orange Revolution. In my own state of Florida, the rights of over 4 million Democratic voters are under assault. This underscores the importance of preserving the foundation of our democracy, and whether in Ukraine or here in the United States, citizens deserve to play an integral part in their governments’ formation. I hope Ukraine’s political leaders can soon find solutions to advance political stability, and I look forward to continuing to strengthen our bilateral relations,” Hastings said.
The U.S. Helsinki Commission plans to hold a briefing focusing on Ukraine’s September 30 parliamentary elections in October, details for the event to follow.