Indonesia Holds First National Presidential Election

INDONESIA HOLDS FIRST NATIONAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION -- (House of Representatives - September 29, 2004)

(Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, last week Indonesians voted directly for the first time to elect their new president. The Charleston Post and Courier reported this marked "a milestone on the road to democracy for the world's most populous Muslim nation." Both competing candidates were pro-American in the global war on terror.

This historic election is another nail in the coffin of the lie that Muslim nations cannot become democracies. India, the world's largest democracy, has over 200 million Muslims. In Afghanistan, 10 million have registered to vote, despite threats from remnants of the Taliban and al Qaeda. The same will happen in Iraq.

As Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said to the defeatists last week in this room, "Above all, they risk underestimating the courage, determination of the Iraqi people to embrace democracy, peace and freedom, for the dreams of our families are the same as the families here in America and around the world."

Freedom and democracy are on the march throughout the Muslim world, and they are the greatest threat to the dark plans of terrorists who want to destroy American families.

In conclusion, may God bless our troops. We will never forget September 11.