Stop Counterfeit Polls
STOP COUNTERFEIT POLLS -- (House of Representatives - June 23, 2005)
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McCaul of Texas). Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I want to call attention to the June 25 Bulgarian and July 3 Albanian parliamentary elections. Voters in these developing economies deserve the opportunity to exercise the freedoms that were unavailable to them for so long.
As the world's greatest democracy, we should strive to foster the ideals of freedom in these developing democracies. Free and fair elections are the first essential step in this long and arduous process.
As a member of the International Anti-Piracy Caucus, I am a proud supporter of international intellectual property protection.
As Albania and Bulgaria move through the election process, they should understand that part of the process of becoming free is making sure that applicable laws are in force both locally and internationally. Failure to punish those that disregard laws will mean that these countries will not become accepted players on the world stage for some time to come.
Part of the process for providing free and fair elections is respecting and enforcing the intellectual property rights of American businesses assisting in these elections.
Therefore, I call upon the sitting governments of these two nations, including their justice ministries and central election commissions, to condemn the distribution of counterfeit Gallup polls that are being used to distort the democratic process during their parliamentary elections.
Promotion of democracy is one of the core pillars of our national security policy. Bulgaria and Albania are both important allies in the war on terror. It is essential that the elected leadership of these two great nations remain committed to defeating, preserving, and extending freedom and the rule of law. The citizens of these great countries have already made substantial progress in the fight for democracy. It is unfortunate, however, that a small segment of society has chosen to act nefariously in an attempt to distort the election process by misuse of the Gallup name.
George H. Gallup, the founder of the Gallup Poll, felt that providing a voice to all people around the world would strengthen societies to help ensure accountability of elected representatives. Unfortunately, Mr. Gallup's mission is being tainted by a group of counterfeiters in both Bulgaria and Albania.
These organizations are conducting electoral polling under the Gallup name without permission or license, while all the while receiving American support through USAID. These actions constitute a clear violation of Gallup's intellectual property rights and, perhaps more importantly, taint the reputation that Gallup has rightfully earned during its 70 years of existence.
While it is true that Gallup is a major employer with its headquarters in my district, Gallup has been active across the country during their existence, providing polling in every Presidential election and several senatorial and congressional elections during that time period. Gallup might employ a number of my constituents, but it is a strong national company with a solid international reputation as well. To see this reputation tarnished with the aid of taxpayer dollars is not only a serious mismanagement of government funds but reprehensible conduct as well.
Mr. Speaker, USAID ought to provide better oversight of the work conducted under their name overseas, and I have called upon them to provide an explanation regarding this matter. Additionally, Congress should do all it can to help ensure that American companies and American intellectual property rights are protected overseas without the willful and wanton negligence of American governmental institutions.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that my colleagues will join me in this call for free and fair elections in Bulgaria and Albania, and support my request to stop the counterfeit polls from being distributed.
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