Monrovia (Liberia)-The Government of Liberia and the U.S based Carter Center have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance collaboration and delineate partnership between them.

According to the agreement, the Carter Center, through its Access to Information Project, will establish a local field office in Liberia to provide assistance to the accessing of Information.

The Carter Center is also expected to work along with the government to identify series of pilot agencies to which activities relating to freedom of information will be focused.

According to the MOU, some of the activities that would enhance the partnership include training, offering of assistance and capacity building to relevant public officials and designated officers relating to its implementation.

Speaking at the signing ceremony Thursday, Carter Center Vice President Dr. John Streamlau said because we find ourselves in the globalization age, people must have access to information relative to what their government is doing.

He stressed the need for citizens to know what benefit the Freedom of Information Act will bring them.

Liberia’s information Minister Cletus Sieh said government is committed to the implementation of the Freedom of Information, saying this was the reason it was passed into law.

The Liberian legislature last year passed into law the Freedom of Information Act, making Liberia the only country in the sub-region to pass this act.

By Terence Sesay, january 21, 2011

Monrovia (Liberia)-The US Marines have embarked on a program code-named ‘Operation Onward Liberty (OOL)’ aimed at building the capacity and capability of the Armed Forces of Liberia shattered by the war, to defend the country’s borders.

“The OOL Mission is a five-year program to ensure Liberia has the capability and capacity to defend her borders and come to the aid of her sister countries if that need should arise. The U.S is using a crawl, walk, run methodology and this new team of mentors will help the AFL transition through the walk phase of training in the form of platoon and eventually company-level skill sets and maneuvers,” an AFL source quoting web sources said here.

“This team will focus more on company-level training,” the source added. The operation which is being funded by te U.S department of State, is a joint venture between the Marine Corps, Air Force and Army..

The first batch of fifteen airmen and nine soldiers and some legal clerks and medics have already left the U.S for Monrovia. This group represents that first batch of what will be about 50 service members, assembled based on their individual talents and experience.

By Terence Sesay,  january 21, 2011

Monrovia (Liberia)-The Controversial 30 year ban from politics imposed on Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and a number of politicians and individuals by the now dissolved Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), for their alleged roles in the country’s atrocious war and other upheavals, has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Liberia.

According to a report, the ruling emanated from a challenge to the ban by Mr. Archie Williams, one of those affected.

The ruling indicates that there are no longer legal hurdles before those contesting office, including President Johnson Sirleaf who has expressed her desire to run for a second term.

The Court said Article 48 of the Act establishing the TRC, as well as Section 14.3 of the TRC’s report containing the recommendations, is unconstitutional.

Article 48 of the Act mandates the TRC to recommend to the President of Liberia the implementation of recommendations coming from the TRC, while Section 14.3 of the TRC report recommends that several politicians, including President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, be banned from holding public office for 30 years.

In its ruling, the supreme court said the TRC’s recommendation ‘is an option’, noting that “banning several individuals, including President Johnson Sirleaf, without their right to due process in keeping with law, is a clear violation of the Liberian Constitution”.

By Terence Sesay, January 24, 2011