22 October 2002
Bush Signs and Commends Sudan Peace Act
(Says it shows U.S. resolve to promote peace) (420)
President Bush issued a White House statement October 21 announcing
his signing of the Sudan Peace Act, H.R. 5531. He said the Act "is
designed to help address the evils inflicted on the people of Sudan by
their government. . .and to press the parties, and in particular the
Sudanese Government, to complete in good faith the negotiations to end
the war."
Following is the text of the President's statement:
(begin text)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
October 21, 2002
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
I have today signed into law H.R. 5531, the "Sudan Peace Act." This
Act demonstrates the clear resolve of the United States to promote a
lasting, just peace; human rights; and freedom from persecution for
the people of Sudan. The Act is designed to help address the evils
inflicted on the people of Sudan by their government -- including
senseless suffering, use of emergency food relief as a weapon of war,
and the practice of slavery -- and to press the parties, and in
particular the Sudanese Government, to complete in good faith the
negotiations to end the war.
Section 6(b) of the Act purports to direct or burden the conduct of
negotiations by the executive branch with foreign governments,
international financial institutions, and the United Nations Security
Council and purports to establish U.S. foreign policy objectives. The
executive branch shall construe these provisions as advisory because
such provisions, if construed as mandatory, would impermissibly
interfere with the President's exercise of his constitutional
authorities to conduct the Nation's foreign affairs, participate in
inter-national negotiations, and supervise the unitary executive
branch.
Several provisions of the Act purport to require executive branch
reports to congressional committees concerning the contents of U.S.
diplomatic advocacy, plans for U.S. diplomatic activities to achieve
particular foreign policy objectives, and information on particular
activities abroad. The executive branch shall construe these
provisions in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional
authority to withhold information, the disclosure of which could
impair the foreign relations, the national security, the deliberative
processes of the Executive, or the performance of the Executive's
constitutional duties. The Secretary of State will, of course,
continue as a matter of comity to keep the Congress appropriately
informed of the Nation's foreign affairs activities.
A provision of the Act defines a particular entity as the "Government
of Sudan" for purposes of implementing the Act. The executive branch
shall construe the Act in a manner consistent with the President's
constitutional authority for the United States to recognize foreign
states and to determine what constitutes the governments of such
foreign states.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE, October 21, 2002.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
