COMMENDATION OF MEXICO ON FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS.

SEC. 1230. COMMENDATION OF MEXICO ON FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS. (a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings: (1) On July 6, 1997, elections were conducted in Mexico in order to fill 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 32 seats in the 128 seat Senate, the office of the Mayor of Mexico City, and local elections in a number of Mexican States. (2) For the first time, the federal elections were organized by the Federal Electoral Institute, an autonomous and independent organization established under the Mexican Constitution. (3) More than 52,000,000 Mexican citizens registered to vote. (4) Eight political parties registered to participate in those elections, including the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the National Action Party (PAN), and the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). (5) Since 1993, Mexican citizens have had the exclusive right to participate as observers in activities related to the preparation and the conduct of elections. (6) Since 1994, Mexican law has permitted international observers to be a part of the election process. (7) With 84 percent of the ballots counted, PRI candidates received 38 percent of the vote for seats in the Chamber of Deputies, while PRD and PAN candidates received 52 percent of the combined vote. (8) PRD candidate Cuauhtemoc Cardenas Solorzano has become the first elected Mayor of Mexico City, a post previously appointed by the President. (9) PAN members will now serve as governors in seven of Mexico’s 31 States. (b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the recent elections in Mexico were conducted in a free, fair, and impartial manner; (2) the will of the Mexican people, as expressed through the ballot box, has been respected by President Ernesto Zedillo and officials throughout his administration; and (3) President Zedillo, the Mexican Government, the Federal Electoral Institute of Mexico, the political parties and candidates, and most importantly the citizens of Mexico should all be congratulated for their support and participation in these very historic elections.