HDAC CODEL ENGAGES LIBERIAN LEGISLATURE ON ETHICS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MONROVIA 000528

SIPDIS

STATE FOR H AND AF/W

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON KCRI LI
SUBJECT: HDAC CODEL ENGAGES LIBERIAN LEGISLATURE ON ETHICS


1. SUMMARY. In a successful visit to Liberia June 29-July 1,
the U.S. House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC),led by
U.S. Representative David Price (D-NC),held six workshops
for the Liberian Legislature in the newly renovated Capitol
building. The CODEL visited the port city of Buchanan, where
they participated in a Grand Bassa County Town Hall Meeting
with Legislators from the county. The delegation also paid a
courtesy call on Vice President Boakai, visited several USAID
projects, and received a briefing from the Liberian Truth and
Reconciliation Commission. Throughout their visit, HDAC
members stressed the importance of ethics and proactive
representation of constituents. END SUMMARY.

HDAC PROVIDES TRAINING TO LIBERIAN LEGISLATURE


2. The House Democracy Assistance Commission, led by
Representative David Price (D-NC) made its third visit to
Liberia in as many years as part of its ongoing partnership
with the Liberian Legislature. Five Members of the U.S.
House of Representatives and eight Congressional staffers
conducted six concurrent day-long workshops inside the newly
renovated Capitol building June 30. The National Democratic
Institute worked closely with the Embassy to organize the
substance of the training.


1. Standing Rules and Procedures (Members)

2. Standing Rules and Procedures (Staff)

3. Budget Analysis (Members)

4. Budget Analysis (Staff)

5. Committee Operations (Members)

6. Research and Analysis (Staff)


3. Each of the sessions included a component on ethics, which
led to a lively debate about the difference between
"lobbying" and "corruption." A few Liberian Members
acknowledged that they had never heard of the concept of the
"appearance" of wrong-doing vs. actual wrong-doing and
pledged that they would do a better job of monitoring their
behavior to avoid bad "appearances."


4. Approximately 45 of the 64 Members of the House and most
of the Senate's Leadership attended at least one of the
sessions. Each of the staff sessions were packed to standing
room only (with approximately 50 attendees in each) for the
entire day. Both groups actively participated and asked
enthusiastic questions, but the level of interest in the
staff sessions meant they could have continued on for several
more hours.

HDAC PARTICIPATES IN GRAND BASSA TOWN HALL MEETING


5. The delegation took part in a June 29 Town Hall meeting in
Buchanan organized by the Grand Bassa Legislative Caucus and
the National Democratic Institute. The U.S. HDAC members
were impressed by the tough questions the eighty citizens who
attended the meeting asked the Liberian legislators and used
those questions to stimulate discussion during the training
sessions at the Capitol.

VICE PRESIDENT GIVES DELEGATION OVERVIEW OF PRS


6. Vice President Boakai and representatives of the
Ministries of Planning, Justice, Defense, Foreign Affairs,
and Education gave the HDAC delegation an overview of the
objectives of Liberia's Poverty Reduction Strategy June 30.
They explained that enhanced security, governance, rule of
law, roads, education, and decentralization were crucial
components of the strategy and thanked the U.S. for its
assistance in these areas.

HDAC MEMBERS AND SPOUSES VISIT U.S.-FUNDED PROJECTS


7. All delegation members toured the Grand Bassa County
Administration Building that USAID had just renovated and
attended a presentation by Alfalit, a USAID-funded literacy
program for market women. The spouses visited a
teacher-training program at the Kakata Rural Teacher Training
Institute and toured Redemption Hospital, the recipient of
medical equipment from the Africa Partnership Station.

TRC GIVES BRIEFING TO DELEGATION


8. Commissioner Coleman of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (TRC) told the delegation that due to increased
public interest in the process, the TRC will request to
extend its mandate from December 2008 until June 2009. The
Commissioners are now sending letters asking suspected
perpetrators to come forward and testify and telling them
that their willingness to do so will affect the TRC's
decision on whether or not to recommend them for prosecution.
Coleman said the TRC has the ability to grant amnesty to

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those accused of anything except violations of human rights
and war crimes, which means that it cannot grant amnesty to
any of the suspected perpetrators it really wishes to hear
from. The TRC has the power to subpoena but has not used it
yet. Commissioner Coleman believes the current letter
approach is more conducive to the healing and reconciliation
the TRC hopes to achieve, but will not hesitate to issue a
subpoena later on if necessary.

COMMENT


9. The HDAC visit was a success on many levels, but
particularly with regard to deepening its partnership with
the Liberian Legislature. Liberian staff participation and
enthusiasm far exceeded anyone's expectations and both sides
agreed to the need for more sessions at the staff level at
future engagements. A competent, professional staff in the
Liberian Legislature would provide institutional expertise
and give Members more time to visit their Congressional
districts.

MEMBERS OF THE HDAC DELEGATION:


1. Rep. David Price (D-NC),HDAC Chairman

2. Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA),HDAC Member

3. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN),HDAC Member

4. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN)

5. Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC)

6. Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC)

SPOUSES:


1. Ms. Lisa Price

2. Ms. Eulada Watt

3. Ms. Martha Cooper

STAFF:


1. John Lis, HDAC Staff Director

2. Brad Smith, Professional Staff Member, House Committee
on Rules

3. Barbara Chow, Policy Director, House Budget Committee

4. Tommy Ross, Legislative Assistant, Office of Rep. David
Price

5. Rachael Leman, Policy Director, Officer of Rep. David
Dreier

6. Janice McKinney, Assistant Director, Office of
Interparliamentary Affairs

7. Nicholas Cook, Specialist in African Affairs,
Congressional Research Service

8. Lauren Ploch, Analyst in African Affairs, Congressional
Research Service

MILITARY ESCORTS:


1. Col. Paul Kennedy, USMC

2. Maj. Speros Koumparakis, USMC

3. Gy. Sgt. Ramses Cypress, USMC

4. Dr. Sam Wanko, USN
BOOTH