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Palm Beach Post, FL
July 3 2004
Hastings seeks presidential role in European-U.S. body
Larry Lipman, Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau
Sunday, July 4, 2004
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Alcee Hastings thinks he can offer an alternative
voice for the United States in its dealings with Europe. Later this
week, he may get the chance.
The six-term congressman from Miramar whose district includes part of
Palm Beach County, is one of the leading candidates to become
president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, a group established in 1991 of
lawmakers from 55 countries. The election will be held Friday at the
assembly's summer meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland.
A Democrat who has been at odds with the Bush administration's
unilateral approach to foreign policy, Hastings said he would not
"rail against the United States" if he becomes the Parliamentary
Assembly president. He would, however, "provide a counterweight to
some of what the Europeans are hearing from this administration."
For example, Hastings believes the Bush administration has given the
cold shoulder to emerging democracies such as Lithuania in the former
Soviet bloc.
After a half-century under communism, Lithuania and other former
Soviet countries are finding their way into the European community
and adjusting to democracy, "but they're not going to have an instant
Americana-western style democracy overnight," Hastings said. "It's
going to take time."
Instead of virtually ignoring such emerging democracies, Hastings
said lawmakers from more established democratic countries should work
with their counterparts in Lithuania and elsewhere to strengthen and
support their efforts.
Hastings said he'd like to meet with the president of Belarus to
encourage that country -- a presumed haven for unaccounted-for
nuclear weapons and illicit gun-running -- to move toward a
democratic government.
"The approach that America takes right now is that Belarus is off the
map," Hastings said. "We need to understand that they need help, and
it isn't just criticizing them or standing off that's going to make
the difference."
Hastings also believes the United States should take a more accepting
approach to the International Criminal Court, which was established
in 1998 by a treaty known as the Rome Statute. So far, 94 countries
have ratified the treaty. The United States is not one of them.
He said he understands the administration's concern that "American
soldiers could be tried by people not favorable toward us," but he
believes exemptions could be made for American military while still
participating in the court.
"It doesn't look good for us not be be included," he said.
Has Republican backing
One of the Parliamentary Assembly's major roles is to promote free
elections. Something Hastings said he would play an active role in
pursuing if he is elected. The assembly president selects delegations
of lawmakers to monitor elections throughout Europe, particularly in
the emerging democracies. The president also appoints delegations to
mediate disputes between countries, such as the conflict Azerbaijan
and Armenia are engaged in over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Hastings, who is one of the assembly's nine vice presidents elected
to serve for staggered three-year terms, said one of his top
priorities would be to strengthen the relationship between members of
Congress and members of European parliamentary bodies. One way to do
that, he said, would be to have frequent transatlantic conference
calls among lawmakers, rather than having the groups wait for the
four regularly scheduled assembly meetings each year.
"My whole commitment is to strengthen the transatlantic
relationship," Hastings said.
He also wants to continue the efforts of outgoing assembly President
Bruce George, a British member of Parliament, to establish a
relationship between the organization and the United Nations.
If elected, Hastings would be the first American and the first member
of a country's ethnic minority to become the assembly president.
Although he is a Democrat, Hastings has the backing of the
Republican-led American delegation. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert
wrote a letter to all assembly members last month urging them to
support Hastings.
"Never one to retreat from a challenge, Alcee Hastings possesses an
instinctive ability to identify solutions and build common ground for
their implementation," Hastert said in his letter.
Could aid local businesses
Although the job would require him to make at least eight trips to
Europe next year, Hastings said becoming president would make him a
more valuable congressman and could boost South Florida.
Hastings is a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee and
the ranking Democrat on its subcommittee on terrorism and homeland
security. He said the travels to Europe would allow him to discuss
intelligence and security concerns with his European counterparts as
well as American personnel in those countries.
The travels also would give him a chance to identify business
opportunities in developing European countries, which he could pass
on to South Florida companies, he said.
Having an American at the helm will be important next year when the
assembly holds its summer meeting in Washington, the first time ever
in the United States, Hastings said. If he's elected, he would make
sure that Hastert is invited to address the assembly. He'd also
invite the president of the United States -- regardless of whether
that is George Bush, whom Hastings opposes, or John Kerry, whom
Hastings supports.
Although he's confident about his chances, Hastings is philosophical
about the outcome. He faces at least one declared candidate, Michel
Voisin, a member of the French National Assembly who unsuccessfully
ran in 2002, and possibly a second, Kimmo Kilgunene, a member of the
Finnish Parliament.
"It's just an honor to be able to compete at that level and... if I
am defeated, aw shucks, I got further than any other American. No
other American has ever sought the office before."
July 3 2004
Hastings seeks presidential role in European-U.S. body
Larry Lipman, Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau
Sunday, July 4, 2004
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Alcee Hastings thinks he can offer an alternative
voice for the United States in its dealings with Europe. Later this
week, he may get the chance.
The six-term congressman from Miramar whose district includes part of
Palm Beach County, is one of the leading candidates to become
president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, a group established in 1991 of
lawmakers from 55 countries. The election will be held Friday at the
assembly's summer meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland.
A Democrat who has been at odds with the Bush administration's
unilateral approach to foreign policy, Hastings said he would not
"rail against the United States" if he becomes the Parliamentary
Assembly president. He would, however, "provide a counterweight to
some of what the Europeans are hearing from this administration."
For example, Hastings believes the Bush administration has given the
cold shoulder to emerging democracies such as Lithuania in the former
Soviet bloc.
After a half-century under communism, Lithuania and other former
Soviet countries are finding their way into the European community
and adjusting to democracy, "but they're not going to have an instant
Americana-western style democracy overnight," Hastings said. "It's
going to take time."
Instead of virtually ignoring such emerging democracies, Hastings
said lawmakers from more established democratic countries should work
with their counterparts in Lithuania and elsewhere to strengthen and
support their efforts.
Hastings said he'd like to meet with the president of Belarus to
encourage that country -- a presumed haven for unaccounted-for
nuclear weapons and illicit gun-running -- to move toward a
democratic government.
"The approach that America takes right now is that Belarus is off the
map," Hastings said. "We need to understand that they need help, and
it isn't just criticizing them or standing off that's going to make
the difference."
Hastings also believes the United States should take a more accepting
approach to the International Criminal Court, which was established
in 1998 by a treaty known as the Rome Statute. So far, 94 countries
have ratified the treaty. The United States is not one of them.
He said he understands the administration's concern that "American
soldiers could be tried by people not favorable toward us," but he
believes exemptions could be made for American military while still
participating in the court.
"It doesn't look good for us not be be included," he said.
Has Republican backing
One of the Parliamentary Assembly's major roles is to promote free
elections. Something Hastings said he would play an active role in
pursuing if he is elected. The assembly president selects delegations
of lawmakers to monitor elections throughout Europe, particularly in
the emerging democracies. The president also appoints delegations to
mediate disputes between countries, such as the conflict Azerbaijan
and Armenia are engaged in over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Hastings, who is one of the assembly's nine vice presidents elected
to serve for staggered three-year terms, said one of his top
priorities would be to strengthen the relationship between members of
Congress and members of European parliamentary bodies. One way to do
that, he said, would be to have frequent transatlantic conference
calls among lawmakers, rather than having the groups wait for the
four regularly scheduled assembly meetings each year.
"My whole commitment is to strengthen the transatlantic
relationship," Hastings said.
He also wants to continue the efforts of outgoing assembly President
Bruce George, a British member of Parliament, to establish a
relationship between the organization and the United Nations.
If elected, Hastings would be the first American and the first member
of a country's ethnic minority to become the assembly president.
Although he is a Democrat, Hastings has the backing of the
Republican-led American delegation. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert
wrote a letter to all assembly members last month urging them to
support Hastings.
"Never one to retreat from a challenge, Alcee Hastings possesses an
instinctive ability to identify solutions and build common ground for
their implementation," Hastert said in his letter.
Could aid local businesses
Although the job would require him to make at least eight trips to
Europe next year, Hastings said becoming president would make him a
more valuable congressman and could boost South Florida.
Hastings is a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee and
the ranking Democrat on its subcommittee on terrorism and homeland
security. He said the travels to Europe would allow him to discuss
intelligence and security concerns with his European counterparts as
well as American personnel in those countries.
The travels also would give him a chance to identify business
opportunities in developing European countries, which he could pass
on to South Florida companies, he said.
Having an American at the helm will be important next year when the
assembly holds its summer meeting in Washington, the first time ever
in the United States, Hastings said. If he's elected, he would make
sure that Hastert is invited to address the assembly. He'd also
invite the president of the United States -- regardless of whether
that is George Bush, whom Hastings opposes, or John Kerry, whom
Hastings supports.
Although he's confident about his chances, Hastings is philosophical
about the outcome. He faces at least one declared candidate, Michel
Voisin, a member of the French National Assembly who unsuccessfully
ran in 2002, and possibly a second, Kimmo Kilgunene, a member of the
Finnish Parliament.
"It's just an honor to be able to compete at that level and... if I
am defeated, aw shucks, I got further than any other American. No
other American has ever sought the office before."