Text 1790, 82 rader
Skriven 2005-11-23 23:33:26 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0511232) for Wed, 2005 Nov 23
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Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President of the Senate
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 23, 2005

Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President of the Senate



November 22, 2005

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, as amended (50
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order
that amends Executive Order 13288 of March 6, 2003, and expands the
authority for blocking property and interests in property.

Executive Order 13288 blocked the property of 77 persons responsible for
hindering the democratic transition in Zimbabwe. It provided for the
secondary designation of persons owned or controlled by, or acting or
purporting to act, directly or indirectly, for or on behalf of any of the
77 persons listed in its Annex.

Since Executive Order 13288 was issued in March 2003, conditions in
Zimbabwe have continued to deteriorate. The government continues to
suppress opposition groups and civil society, undermine the independent
media, ignore decisions by its courts, and refuse to enter into meaningful
negotiations with other political actors. Zimbabwe's parliamentary
elections in March 2005 were not free or fair. Recent demolitions of low
income housing and informal markets have caused 700,000 people to lose
their homes, jobs, or both. Additional measures are required to promote
democratic change.

The new order adds primary designation authority to Executive Order 13288,
as well as authority to designate immediate family members of, and those
who provide support to, sanctioned persons. It also adds authority to
determine that circumstances no longer warrant the blocking of property and
interests in property of a person listed on the Annex. Specifically, the
new order will allow the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with
the Secretary of State, to designate those who have engaged in actions or
policies to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions, thus
contributing to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Zimbabwe, to
politically motivated violence and intimidation in that country, or to
political and economic instability in the Southern African region. It will
also allow for secondary designations of persons determined to have
materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or
technological support for, or goods or services in support of, such actions
or policies or any persons sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13288, as
amended (the "order"). It will further allow for the secondary designations
of those persons who are or have been immediate family members of, or are
owned or controlled by or acting for or on behalf of, any persons
sanctioned pursuant to the order.

Accompanying the new order is an Annex that replaces and supersedes in its
entirety the Annex to Executive Order 13288. This new Annex contains a
revised list of persons whose property and interests in property are
blocked by the President pursuant to section 1(a)(i) of the order,
including key government and party officials and their family members.

The new order will provide needed flexibility as conditions in Zimbabwe
evolve, allowing my Administration to more effectively utilize targeted
sanctions to promote positive democratic change in Zimbabwe.

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.

Sincerely,

GEORGE W. BUSH

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