Coffee Break today featured live interviews with the following persons: John Nielsen-OIC/UNPOL Commissioner; Jasper Cummeh-Senior Policy Director-Agency for Genuine Democratic Alternatives-AGENDA/Spokesperson-Elections Coordinating Committee on Public Affairs and media; Representative Gabriel Smith-Grand Bassa County; and Julie Endee-Head of Crusaders for Peace.

•    John Nielsen-OIC/UNPOL Commissioner has re-committed UNPOL’s support to the UNMIL Road Safety Campaign launched this week by the Director of Mission Support Hubert Price. OIC Nielsen said UNPOL has been highly instrumental in aiding the massive reduction of road accidents this year as compared to last year. According to him, UNPOL has contributed immensely to traffic decongestion especially in the clustered Monrovia enclave, initiated a school outreach project which educates children on crosswalk usage and other traffic signs/rules respectively and conducts indoor lectures on road safety with members of the public including motorbike riders.

In continuation of UNPOL’s support to road safety, officers are co-located with their LNP counterparts to periodically advice on patrol and safety. He said for the UN Police, drivers are tested to authenticate their driving capacity and prowess, with additional lessons on traffic rules inside and outside of the mission. He added that UNPOL is keen on ensuring that drivers within the mission become role models worth emulating. What remain outstanding as issues to address in line with road safety are those bordering on the “testing of drivers, lights and signs to follow, inspection of vehicles and the license system which seems to be flawed.

•    Jasper Cummeh-Senior Policy Director-Agency for Genuine Democratic Alternatives-AGENDA/Spokesperson-Elections Coordinating Committee on Public Affairs and media has expressed the need to strengthen Liberia’s peace and democracy by placing premium on pressing divergent views with the mindset of finding solutions to emerging situations.  He reminded that although not all who contest in a politically charged race are set to win, it is worth noting that the winner must be willing to be conciliatory and welcome all aboard to contribute towards the national development agenda. He singled out the issue of replacement of the NEC chair, stressing that it should be an open vetting process that will include members from opposition parties as a means of dispelling suspicions that may arise. He also called for a complete reform of the electoral laws of Liberia, specifically the provision on the recruitment of magistrates and poll workers to include political parties and members of civil society to lend it more credibility. As regards the performance of the 52nd legislature, he expressed grave disappointment mainly on the passage of a resolution on the threshold bill, describing the move as a disservice to the Liberian people.

He wants the issue of constituency demarcation to be properly handled by the incoming 53rd legislature in order to establish a system that will be credited by the people. He has also urged that provisions be made for the removal of lawmakers who fail to ably represent their constituencies, either through the formulation and passage of laws that benefit them or neglect of their needs. Jasper hopes that bills will be passed to reflect the social conditions of people like single mothers and widows in support of the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

•     Representative Gabriel Smith-Grand Bassa County for his part confirmed that the threshold bill was a complete misfit conclusion reached by lawmakers and must be revisited upon the seating of the 53rd legislature. He said this legislature has the opportunity to correct the wrongs done by their predecessors and combine efforts in passing laws that are people driven. He listed for example bills such as the minimum wage bill still in committee rooms, Community Rights Law which should give power to communities to own development processes and reduce poverty and the bill on empowering political parties as bills that need thorough scrutiny for the good of the ordinary people. Representative Smith noted that the issue of salary was cardinal to the survival of the labor force, as salary must commensurate with labor. He also mentioned vast investment in education which will provide a leeway in preparing the manpower of Liberia for future employment opportunities in the energy and extractive sectors of the economy.

•    Julie Endee-Head of Crusaders for Peace said her organization is partnering with Population Services International-PSI to promote the use of condoms. PSI, noted for its Star Condoms, specifically targets young people who are believed to be sexually active in the Liberian society. This is evidenced by the 23 percent rate of increase in teenage pregnancy in Liberia which contributes to school dropouts and STI infection among others. The combined team is currently in the southeast visiting popular youth centers with messages on safe sex through condom use.      
 

Coffee Break November 30 2011