Конгрес США схвалив резолюцію з закликом до України провести у жовтні вільні і справедливі вибори.
Раніше цю резолюцію схвалив американський Сенат.

Під час обговорення резолюції у Конгресі лунало твердження , що президентські вибори засвідчать наскільки Україна віддана справі демократії і своєму майбутньому у Європі.

Зокрема член Конгресу Джо Анн Дейвід наголосила, що жоден з ключових кандидатів не мав би хотіти перемоги, заплямованої несправедливою кампанією, упередженим висвітленням засобів масової інформації і навіть бандитизмом.

Кореспонденти кажуть, що тлом для резолюції Конгресу США стала кампанія в Україні низки провладних партій проти того, що вони називають закордонним втручанням.

Тим часом представники української опозиції кажуть, що вітають якомога більшу кількість закордонних спостерігачів на виборах і кажуть, що увага з закордону обмежить зловживання влади.

Наводимо повний текст резолюції Конгресу США

 108th CONGRESS, 2d Session, H. CON. RES. 415
                             CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Urging the Government of Ukraine to ensure a democratic, transparent,
and fair election process for the presidential election on October
31,
2004.

                     HCON 415 EH, 108th CONGRESS, 2d Session
                                         H. CON. RES. 415
                               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 are prerequisites for that country's full
 integration into the Western community of nations as an equal member,
 including into organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization
 (NATO);

 WHEREAS the Government of Ukraine has accepted numerous specific
 commitments governing the conduct of elections as a participating
State
 of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
 including provisions of the Copenhagen Document;

WHEREAS the election on October 31, 2004, of Ukraine's next president will provide an unambiguous test of the extent of the Ukrainian
authorities' commitment to implement these standards and build a democratic
society based on free elections and the rule of law;

 WHEREAS this election takes place against the backdrop of previous
 elections that did not fully meet international standards and of
disturbing
 trends in the current pre-election environment;

WHEREAS it is the duty of government and public authorities at all
levels
to act in a manner consistent with all laws and regulations governing
election procedures and to ensure free and fair elections throughout
the
entire country, including preventing activities aimed at undermining
the
free exercise of political rights;

 WHEREAS a genuinely free and fair election requires a period of
political
 campaigning conducted in an environment in which neither
administrative
action nor violence, intimidation, or detention hinder the parties,
political associations, and the candidates from presenting their
views and
qualifications to the citizenry, including organizing supporters,
conducting

 public meetings and events throughout the country, and enjoying
unimpeded

 access to television, radio, print, and Internet media on a
non-discriminatory basis;

 WHEREAS a genuinely free and fair election requires that citizens be
guaranteed the right and effective opportunity to exercise their
civil and
 political rights, including the right to vote and the right to seek
and
 acquire information upon which to make an informed vote, free from
intimidation, undue influence, attempts at vote buying, threats of
political
 retribution, or other forms of coercion by national or local
authorities
or
 others;

 WHEREAS a genuinely free and fair election requires government 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
procedures, including voting and vote-counting in all areas of the
country;

WHEREAS increasing control and manipulation of the media by national
 and local officials and others acting at their behest raise grave
concerns
 regarding the commitment of the Ukrainian authorities to free and
fair
 elections;

WHEREAS efforts by the national authorities to limit access to
international
 broadcasting, including Radio Liberty and the Voice of America,
represent
 an unacceptable infringement on the right of the Ukrainian people to
independent information;

 WHEREAS efforts by national and local officials and others acting at
their
 behest to impose obstacles to free assembly, free speech, and a free
and
fair political campaign have taken place in Donetsk, Sumy, and
elsewhere
in
 Ukraine without condemnation or remedial action by the Ukrainian
Government;

WHEREAS numerous substantial irregularities have taken place in
recent
 Ukrainian parliamentary by-elections in the Donetsk region and in
mayoral
elections in Mukacheve, Romny, and Krasniy Luch; and

 WHEREAS the intimidation and violence during the April 18, 2004,
mayoral
 election in Mukacheve, Ukraine , represent a deliberate attack on the
 democratic process: Now, therefore, BE IT

         RESOLVED BY THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
            (THE SENATE CONCURRING), THAT THE CONGRESS

(1) acknowledges and welcomes the strong relationship formed between
 the United States and Ukraine since the restoration of Ukraine's
 independence in 1991;

 (2) recognizes that a precondition for the full integration of
Ukraine
into
 the Western community of nations, including as an equal member in
 institutions such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),
is its
establishment of a genuinely democratic political system;

 (3) expresses its strong and continuing support for the efforts of
the
 Ukrainian people to establish a full democracy, the rule of law, and
respect
 for human rights in Ukraine ;

 (4) urges the Government of Ukraine to guarantee freedom of
association
and assembly, including the right of candidates, members of political
 parties, and others to freely assemble, to organize and conduct
public
events, and to exercise these and other rights free from intimidation or
harassment
by local or national officials or others acting at their behest;

 (5) urges the Government of Ukraine to meet its Organization for
Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments on democratic elections
 and to address issues previously identified by the Office of
Democratic
 Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the OSCE in its final
reports on
 the 2002 parliamentary elections and the 1999 presidential elections,
such
 as illegal interference by public authorities in the campaign and a
high
degree of bias in the media;

 (6) urges the Ukrainian authorities to ensure--

 (A) the full transparency of election procedures before, during, and
after
 the 2004 presidential elections;
(B) free access for Ukrainian and international election observers;
(C) multiparty representation on all election commissions;
 (D) unimpeded access by all parties and candidates to print, radio,
television, and Internet media on a non-discriminatory basis;
(E) freedom of candidates, members of opposition parties, and
independent
media organizations from intimidation or harassment by government
officials

 at all levels via selective tax audits and other regulatory
procedures,
and
 in the case of media, license revocations and libel suits, among
other
measures;
(F) a transparent process for complaint and appeals through electoral
 commissions and within the court system that provides timely and
effective
remedies; and
(G) vigorous prosecution of any individual or organization
responsible for
 violations of election laws or regulations, including the application
of
appropriate administrative or criminal penalties;

(7) further calls upon the Government of Ukraine to guarantee
election
monitors from the ODIHR, other participating States of the OSCE,
Ukrainian political parties, candidates' representatives,
nongovernmental
organizations, and other private institutions and organizations, both
oreign and domestic, unobstructed access to all aspects of the
election
process, including unimpeded access to public campaign events,
candidates,
news media, voting, and post-election tabulation of results and
processing
of election challenges and complaints;

(8) strongly encourages the President to fully employ the diplomatic
and
other resources of the Government of the United States to ensure that
the
election laws and procedures of Ukraine are faithfully adhered to by
all
local and national officials, by others acting at their behest, and
by all
candidates and parties, during and subsequent to the presidential
campaign
and election-day voting;

(9) strongly encourages the President to clearly communicate to the
Government of Ukraine, to all parties and candidates, and to the
people
of Ukraine the high importance attached by the Government of the
United
States to this presidential campaign as a central factor in
determining
the
future relationship between the two countries; and

(10) pledges its enduring support and assistance to the Ukrainian
people's
establishment of a fully free and open democratic system, their
creation
of
a prosperous free market economy, their establishment of a secure
 independence and freedom from coercion, and their country's
assumption
of its rightful place as a full and equal member of the Western
community
of
democracies.

Passed the U.S. House of Representatives October 4, 2004.  -30-