,,iv #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #aaej ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #bd1 #bjbj,mr4 ,phillips 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,bass1 and ,mr4 ,yoho7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,,resolution ,urging the ,government of ,cte d',ivoire1 opposition leaders1 and all citizens to respect democratic principles1 refrain from violence1 and hold free1 fair1 transparent1 and peaceful elections in ,october #bjbj4 ,whereas it is in the interest of the ,united ,states to maintain a strong relationship with a democratic1 peaceful1 stable1 and economically prosperous ,cte d',ivoire whose leaders prioritize good governance1 the rule of law1 and respect for human rights2 ,whereas the ,united ,states and ,cte d',ivoire have a strong bilateral relationship with important cooperation on economic interests1 regional stability1 and counterterrorism priorities1 and efforts to advance health and development objectives2 ,whereas ,cte d',ivoire has a presidential election scheduled for ,october #ca1 #bjbj2 ,whereas previous transitions of power have been marred by conflict and violence against civilians1 including most recently in #bjaj-bjaa1 when #c1jjj civilians were killed during an election-related dispute2 ,whereas the root causes of past political violence--including religious and ethnoregional tensions1 contestation over land1 politicization of the judiciary and concerns over due process1 and a lack of professionalism1 adequate training1 and civilian control over the security forces--have not been adequately addressed2 ,whereas political leaders have previously manipulated and exploited religious1 ethnic1 and regional identities and economic grievances to incite violence including through incidents of hateful and divisive speech occurring both in person and online2 ,whereas ,president ,ouattara's decision to stand for a third term1 despite a two-term limit in the constitution1 has heightened tensions1 and several citizens have been killed and dozens more injured or arrested amid protests against his candidacy2 ,whereas political violence in ,cte d',ivoire could threaten the region's stability and economic development prospects1 and undermine efforts to counter violent extremism and terrorist activity2 ,whereas the ,government of ,cte d',ivoire must protect the health and safety of its citizens and prevent the spread of ,,covid-#ai while also ensuring credible elections and enabling the participation of all voters2 ,whereas the ,government of the ,united ,states is deeply committed to efforts to prevent conflict and atrocities and address the root causes of fragility1 as evidenced by the enactment of the ,global ,fragility ,act of #bjai and the ,elie ,wiesel ,genocide and ,atrocities ,prevention ,act of #bjah2 and ,whereas the ,united ,states ,embassy in ,cte d',ivoire issued a statement on ,august #be1 #bjbj1 supporting free1 transparent1 and inclusive elections in ,cte d',ivoire and urging all parties1 groups and individuals to refrain from violence and hateful_/divisive speech and to choose dialogue to find peaceful solutions to their disagreements3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 reaffirms that the ,united ,states will continue to stand with the people of ,cte d',ivoire in support of peace1 democracy1 religious and ethnic tolerance1 and stability2 7#b7 calls upon the ,government of ,cte d',ivoire and all political parties to-- 7,a7 protect all civilians from violence and support their right to peacefully demonstrate2 7,b7 condemn all forms of hate speech and incitement of violence while maintaining citizens' open access to information2 7,c7 publicly commit to free1 fair1 peaceful1 and transparent elections and make clear that all ,ivorians1 including security forces1 government officials1 political opposition members1 and the media1 will be held accountable for inciting or perpetrating violence2 7,d7 support an independent investigation into the killings of civilians during demonstrations2 7,e7 support efforts to implement public health protocols to prevent further spread of ,,covid-#ai and ensure safe participation of all voters on election day2 and 7,f7 request the electoral observation services of the ,african ,union or the ,economic ,community of ,west ,african ,states1 and grant full access to election observers2 7#c7 encourages civil society organizations1 local communities1 and religious leaders to-- 7,a7 remain united in calls for peace1 nonviolence1 tolerance1 and democracy2 and 7,b7 work to educate voters about the electoral process in order to combat disinformation and violence2 and 7#d7 calls upon the ,united ,states ,government and international partners to-- 7,a7 continue to condemn violence against peaceful demonstrators and hate speech that promotes such actions1 including posts on social media1 and urge all political parties to publicly commit to free1 fair1 peaceful1 and transparent elections2 7,b7 continue to support election preparation efforts1 including through assistance to the ,independent ,electoral ,commission 7,,iec71 capacity building for civil society and local leaders1 voter education programs1 development of election day protocols1 violence prevention programs1 support for election observation1 and human rights and atrocities prevention monitoring2 and 7,c7 call for and support an independent investigation into the killings of civilians during demonstrations4