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**[David Dreier, Chairman]{.smallcaps}**

**[David Price, Ranking Democratic Member]{.smallcaps}**

**[2006 Annual Report]{.smallcaps}**

**[[COMMISSION MEMBERS]{.underline}]{.smallcaps}**

[David Dreier, California David Price, North Carolina]{.smallcaps}

[Jim, Kolbe, Arizona Silvestre Reyes, Texas]{.smallcaps}

[Paul Gillmor, Ohio Lois Capps, California]{.smallcaps}

[Mark Kirk, Illinois Rush Holt, New Jersey]{.smallcaps}

[John Boozman, Arkansas Adam Schiff, California]{.smallcaps}

[Joe Wilson, South Carolina Artur Davis, Alabama]{.smallcaps}

[Tom Cole, Oklahoma Allyson Schwartz, Pennsylvania]{.smallcaps}

[Candice Miller, Michigan]{.smallcaps}

[Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska]{.smallcaps}

**[Table of Contents]{.underline}**

**[Executive
Summary]{.underline}\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....iii**

**[Introduction]{.underline}...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....1**

**[Commission Activities in
2006]{.underline}...........................................................................\...1**

Overview...\.............................................................................................1

U.S.
Programs...\.......................................................................................2

Afghanistan...\..............................
...........................................................3

East Timor ...\..............................
...........................................................4

Georgia...\......\..............................
...........................................................5

Indonesia..................\..................
...........................................................6

Kenya.......................................
...........................................................7

Lebanon........\..............................
...........................................................8

Macedonia.....\..............................
...........................................................9

**[Studies]{.underline}......................................................................................................\...12**

Introduction...........................................................................................12

Afghanistan...........................................................................................13

Colombia..............................................................................................14

Haiti\....................................................................................................15

Iraq......\...............................................................................................17

Lebanon................................................................................................17

Liberia.........\..............................
.........................................................19

Mongolia......\..............................
.........................................................20

Morocco.......\..............................
.........................................................22

Ukraine...\......\..............................
.........................................................23

**[Proposed Commission Activities in
2007]{.underline}...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....25**

Introduction...........................................................................................25

Outbound Congressional and Staff
Delegations................................................25

Inbound Parliamentary
Delegations............................................................\...26

Recommendations to the USAID
Administrator.............................................\...26

**[Appendices]{.underline}........................................\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\....28**

Appendix A --FY 2006 Budget
Summary\......................................................\...28

Appendix B -- April 2006 Washington
program................................................29

Appendix C -- September 2006 Washington
program.......................................\...42

Appendix D -- February 2006 CODEL to Indonesia and East
Timor.....................\... 50

Appendix E -- July 2006 CODEL to Lebanon and
Kenya.....................................55

Appendix F -- November 2006 CODEL to Macedonia and
Afghanistan....................62

**[Executive Summary]{.underline}**

The House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) enjoyed a productive
year in 2006, commencing programs with the legislatures of seven
developing democracies and approving programs with five additional
countries. After selecting the initial partner legislatures in 2005, the
Commission undertook its first assistance programs in 2006, sending
congressional delegations to six countries and hosting parliamentary
delegations from six countries. The Commission also inaugurated material
assistance programs in three parliaments, with the cooperation of the
U.S. Agency for International Development.

Under the leadership of Chairman David Dreier and Ranking Democratic
Member David Price, HDAC enabled House Members and congressional staff
to personally assist their counterparts in democratic legislatures to
build stronger, more effective institutions. Among the notable
activities were a program to furnish, equip and train staff of the
parliamentary library of East Timor; consultations with MPs from the
reform team of the Indonesian House of Representatives; advice on budget
analysis and process to the newly created budget committee of the Kenyan
parliament; and discussions on legislative oversight with committee
chairs in the Afghan National Assembly.

The Commission sent congressional delegations to Indonesia and East
Timor in February; to Lebanon and Kenya in July; and to Macedonia and
Afghanistan in November. Parliamentary delegations from East Timor,
Indonesia, Georgia and Macedonia visited the United States in April, as
did delegations from Afghanistan and Kenya in late August and early
September. In addition to the parliamentary library project in East
Timor, HDAC donated a computer server to the Assembly of the Republic of
Macedonia and library materials to the Lebanese National Assembly.
Partnerships with Colombia, Haiti, Liberia, Mongolia, and Ukraine have
been established with programs set to begin in early 2007.

As the 110^th^ Congress gets underway, the focus of HDAC will shift from
initiating partnerships to designing and implementing more robust
programs with current partners. The Commission expects to send
congressional delegations to partner countries; to invite member and
staff delegations from partner countries; and to design material
assistance programs for several parliaments. HDAC is also exploring ways
to increase cooperation between visits.

**[Introduction]{.underline}**

The House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) was created by the
House of Representatives on March 14, 2005, when the House voted 386-2
to approve H. Res. 135, the House Democracy Assistance Commission
Resolution. Section 5(c) of that resolution states that the Commission
shall prepare an annual report and submit it to the Speaker of the House
of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives,
the Committee on International Relations and other appropriate House
committees, the Office of Interparliamentary Affairs of the House of
Representatives, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID).

As required by H. Res. 135, this report contains the results of a study
on the feasibility of programs of assistance for parliaments of new
democracies for the purpose of strengthening their parliamentary
infrastructure. It also reviews the activities of the Commission in 2006
and proposes activities of the Commission in 2007.

**[Commission Activities in 2006]{.underline}**

**Overview**

This year marked the beginning of programming for the House Democracy
Assistance Commission, with Members of Congress working with their
colleagues in seven parliaments from around the world. Commission
Members participated in three congressional delegations to six partner
countries (in February, July and November), and delegations from six
countries visited the United States for programs in Washington and in
Members' districts (in April and late August/early September). The
Commission also recommended material assistance programs for parliaments
in three countries, and these programs were implemented by USAID.

The congressional delegations were well-received by their parliamentary
counterparts, and working sessions were well-attended, with engaged,
substantive discussions the norm. Topics were wide-ranging, from the
roles and responsibilities of a legislator with MPs from the new country
of East Timor to the importance of an independent budget analysis office
in Kenya.

Most delegations were enthusiastic about the programs in the United
States, which featured meetings between visiting MPs and staff and
Members of Congress and their staff. Delegations were provided with an
overview of the U.S. legislative and budget process, discussed the roles
of House committees, were briefed on the duties of the Congressional
Research Service (CRS), and participated in workshops on oversight,
analysis and budgeting. For many delegates, the visit to the home
district of a Commission Member was a highlight of the program, enabling
them to learn the important role of constituent relations for Members of
Congress.

The largest material assistance program is in East Timor, where the
Commission is providing furniture, equipment and training for the
expanded parliamentary library, in cooperation with USAID and the
Library of Congress (LOC). The Commission also purchased a computer
server in Macedonia and provided materials to the Lebanese parliamentary
library.

**U.S. Programs**

The Commission in 2006 hosted two programs in the United States for
delegations from partner parliaments. The first was held from April 18
to 28 for delegations from East Timor, Georgia, Indonesia and Macedonia.
The second was held from August 30 to September 9 for delegations from
Afghanistan and Kenya. A Lebanese delegation had been invited to
participate as well, but was unable to travel due to the conflict in
that country. A total of 57 MPs and staff from the six parliaments
participated in these programs.

The program in April began with programs in the state legislatures of
the hosting Members: the East Timorese delegation in Phoenix, Arizona;
the Georgian delegation in Columbia, South Carolina; the Indonesian
delegation in Sacramento, California; and the Macedonian delegation in
Lansing, Michigan. Participants, however, generally found these programs
to be less useful than other parts of the program, and the Commission
decided not to include a program in a state legislature for the second
set of delegations in late August.

Each delegation was hosted by a Commission Member in his or her home
district prior to the program in Washington. These district programs
focused on constituent relations and the interaction between different
levels of government in the U.S. federal system. Visiting MPs and staff
met with district office staff, observed town hall meetings between
their host Members and constituents, and shadowed Members for activities
throughout the district. The district programs were well-received by
delegates; some cited this as the highlight of their program, and the
district experiences enabled Commission Members to develop personal
relationships with visiting MPs. Details about each district program can
be found in the section on programs with each partner legislature.

In Washington, both programs provided visiting MPs and staff with an
overview of the House and its legislative operations, with House
officers, CRS specialists, and outside experts meeting with the
delegations. Delegates also received an overview of the congressional
budget process and an introduction to the work of CRS. Programs are
included in the appendices.

The programs in Washington sought to maximize Member-to-Member and
staff-to-staff contact. Members of Congress met with each delegation to
discuss the work of House committees, with a particular focus on the
hearing process. The Commission also arranged individual meetings
between visiting staff and their House counterparts to allow visiting
staffers to have detailed discussions with relevant House staff that
related directly to their duties. Members and staff also had an
opportunity to talk informally at a reception and a luncheon hosted by
the Commission.

The most detailed work in Washington occurred in three daylong workshops
tailored to meet the needs of different MPs and staff. One workshop on
the workings of the House focused on legislative process and
administration and paired House officers and procedural experts with
visiting MPs and staff working in leadership, administrative and
procedural roles. A second workshop focused on the work of committees
and included presentations by CRS and House committee staff regarding
research, analysis, and the substance of legislation; it was aimed at
visiting committee chairs, their staff and researchers. The final
workshop focused on the budget and appropriations process for members
and staff of relevant committees and offices.

**Afghanistan**

Recognizing the importance of a stable Afghan democracy to U.S. and
regional security, the Commission moved quickly to establish a program
with the Afghan National Assembly following successful national
elections in September 2005. HDAC Members approved a program with the
directly elected lower house, the Wolesi Jirga, in March 2006. An Afghan
delegation visited the United States at the end of August 2006, and a
congressional delegation conducted a program in Kabul, Afghanistan in
November 2006.

[Congressional Delegation]{.underline}

The Commission conducted its third Member assistance mission in
Macedonia and Afghanistan from November 19 to 27, 2006. Led by Chairman
David Dreier, the delegation included Reps. David Price, Lois Capps and
Earl Pomeroy. The delegation met with counterparts from the Wolesi Jirga
on November 25 and 26. The delegation was impressed by the commitment of
Afghan MPs to build a democratic system in their country and to work
within the political structures of the parliament to resolve their
differences.

Speaker Yanus Qanooni expressed his thanks to the delegation for the
Commission's support and his hope that the Commission can assist the
development of his parliament. Referring to the civil war that followed
the end of Soviet occupation in 1989, he noted that Afghan leaders now
settle their disagreements with voting cards rather than weapons.

Legislative oversight of the government was a major focus of the
delegation's visit, most notably in the delegation's meeting with the 18
chairs of Wolesi Jirga committees. Concurrently, two House staffers met
with a wide range of Afghan committee staff. The focus on strengthening
Afghan committees continued on the second day of the visit, when the
delegation separated into two groups and conducted individual meetings
with the chairs, vice chairs and secretaries of six committees from the
Wolesi Jirga.

A major focus of the Commission's work in Afghanistan will be the
parliamentary library, and Chairman Dreier signed a memorandum of
understanding pledging HDAC to support that facility during a public
ceremony. The library is housed in a newly renovated space, but it is in
need of books, periodicals, and other library materials. In September
2006, the Commission had sent a specialist from the Library of Congress
office in Islamabad, Pakistan, to assess the needs of the library, and
her report and proposal will form the basis of the Commission's project.
Training for Afghan library staff will be an important part of the
project.

[Parliamentary Delegation]{.underline}

An 11-person delegation from the Afghan National Assembly participated
in the second HDAC program in the United States from August 30 to
September 9, 2006. The delegation began its visit in the suburban
Chicago district of Rep. Mark Kirk before traveling to Washington for
the program in Congress. The delegation was led by the Honorable Saleh
Saljughy**,** an MP who serves as the Second Secretary of the Wolesi
Jirga, a leadership position, and focused on committee chairmen. Other
participants can be found in Appendix C.

In Illinois, the delegation met with Mr. Kirk and his staff and toured
his district office to learn how Members of Congress interact with their
constituents. Participants also met with local government officials to
gain a better understanding of the relationship between different levels
of government. The delegation also toured the Great Lakes Naval Station
to see how the U.S. Navy trains its recruits.

In addition to the general program in Washington, MPs and staff
participated in individual programs targeted to their particular roles
and interests. The chairmen of the defense and internal security
committees discussed defense oversight in meetings with Undersecretary
of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman and officials at the National Defense
University and the Army Liaison Office in the House. The internal
security chairman participated in meetings at the Drug Enforcement
Agency. Staff met with their counterparts on the House Judiciary
Committee and in the Office of the Speaker.

**East Timor**

East Timor gained its independence in 2002, and the Commission program
aims to develop both the physical infrastructure and the human capacity
of one of the world's newest parliaments. The Commission's first
congressional delegation visited East Timor in February 2006, and a
Timorese delegation came to the United States in April 2006. The
parliamentary library has been a focus of HDAC efforts thanks to a
program to furnish, equip and train staff in order to create an
information resource for MPs and staff.

[Congressional Delegation]{.underline}

The House Democracy Assistance Commission conducted its first Member
assistance mission in Indonesia and East Timor from February 16 to 25,
2006. Led by Rep. Jim Kolbe, the delegation included Reps. Lois Capps,
Adam Schiff and Allyson Schwartz. The delegation met with counterparts
from the National Parliament of East Timor on February 23 and 24. The
Commission program in East Timor was enthusiastically received by
members of parliament, a majority of whom participated during the
two-day program.

In discussion, both with the entire delegation and during individual
break-out sessions, Timorese MPs asked about how representatives balance
obligations to their constituents with t loyalty to their party.
Important discussions took place during the session on the role of
majority and minority parties, the role of staff, and security sector
oversight. Congressional staff also conducted a program for Timorese
parliamentary staff on how staff should support members.

[Parliamentary Delegation]{.underline}

A 10-person delegation from the National Parliament of East Timor
participated in the first HDAC program in the United States from April
18 to 28, 2006. The delegation began its visit in the southern Arizona
district of Rep. Jim Kolbe before traveling to Washington for the
program in Congress. The delegation was led by the Honorable Francisco
Carlos Soares, an MP who serves as Secretary of the National Parliament,
a leadership position. Other participants can be found in Appendix B.

During their time in Arizona, delegates first met with Mr. Kolbe and his
district staff in Tucson, gaining a first-hand look at how a Member
interacts with constituents. The delegation then traveled to Phoenix for
a two-day program in the Arizona state legislature for an overview of
legislative operations there.

[Material assistance]{.underline}

# 

During the February 2006 visit of CODEL Kolbe, a memorandum of
understanding was signed by Chairman Kolbe, U.S. Ambassador Grover
Joseph Rees, and Speaker Francisco "Lu'olo" Guterres. In this MOU the
Commission pledged to furnish and equip the parliamentary library and
train the staff. In addition, the Commission will provide books and
other library materials from a bibliography being compiled by the
Library of Congress. This project aims to create a functioning and
well-equipped parliament library that can provide information and
research service for Members of Parliament in support of democratic
governance, high-quality legislation, and effective oversight of the
government. USAID has allocated \$175,000 from the HDAC appropriation to
pay for the material assistance and training.

At the request of HDAC, the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington,
agreed that the staff of the Library of Congress office in Jakarta
should assist in this effort. The LOC role is supportive, with the Dili
office of the Asia Foundation taking the leadership. This program will
equip the new library and information facility with basic furniture,
equipment, and informational resources.. TAF will provide IT resources
based on the Library of Congress' development plan, while LOC will
oversee installation of the IT equipment to be maintained on a long-term
basis by the parliament's IT section. TAF will also provide a core set
of materials, including relevant reference materials, and coordinate
training, which will include training by the LOC, the Department of
State's regional librarian, and the Dili Institute of Technology.

**Georgia**

The Commission program in Georgia is intended to support the legislature
of a country that took great strides toward democracy with its November
2003 Rose Revolution. Many of the leaders of that movement now serve in
parliament, and the Commission program aims to assist them in
strengthening the committees, support agencies and leadership offices. A
Georgian delegation visited the United States in April 2006.

[Parliamentary Delegation]{.underline}

A 10-person delegation from the Georgian Parliament participated in the
first HDAC program in the United States from April 18 to 28, 2006. The
delegation began its visit in the South Carolina district of Rep. Joe
Wilson before the program in Washington. The delegation was led by
Deputy Speaker Jemal Inaishvili. Other participants can be found in
Appendix B.

The program began in Columbia, South Carolina, with a two-day program in
the state legislature, and continued with a three-day program with Mr.
Wilson and his district office staff to learn more about constituent
relations.

During the Washington program, the Commission arranged specialized
meetings for several Georgian participants. Staff from the Georgian
Speaker's office met with staff from the office of Speaker Dennis
Hastert; budget officials met with staff from CBO; and the research
service director met with staff from CRS.

The program with the Georgian delegation, however, did not meet the
expectations of the visiting MPs and staff, who viewed it as too basic
for an advanced legislature. As a result, the Commission pledged to
review the program with the Georgian parliament to make it more
specialized and useful for MPs and staff.

**Indonesia**

The Commission program in Indonesia is designed to assist members in
their own efforts to reform their legislature by gaining greater control
over its budget and staff, in order to become a more independent
legislature. The Commission sent a congressional delegation to Jakarta
in February 2006, and an Indonesian delegation visited the United States
in April 2006.

[Congressional Delegation]{.underline}

The House Democracy Assistance Commission conducted its first Member
assistance mission in Indonesia and East Timor from February 16 to 25,
2006. Led by Rep. Jim Kolbe, the delegation included Reps. Lois Capps,
Adam Schiff and Allyson Schwartz. The delegation met in Jakarta with
counterparts from the Indonesian House of Representatives on February 20
and 21. The delegation found a receptive audience for its message of
strengthening legislative independence among its counterparts in the
Indonesian House of Representatives,(DPR).

Speaker Agung Laksono told the delegation that the main problem his
parliament faces is its budget, which is set by the executive branch. He
expressed need for a more effective library, research and professional
staff and for funding to enable MPs to communicate with their
constituents and open district offices

The themes of insufficient staffing and lack of budgetary control
resurfaced during the delegation's meetings with the Budget Committee
and Legislative Committee (BALEG). The delegation's meeting with the
House Administration Committee (BURT) focused on the independence from
the executive branch that the U.S. Congress enjoys. Recognizing the need
for parliament to control its own staff and budget, the DPR created a
"Study Team for Improving the Performance of the DPR." Because the team
had not yet been inaugurated, a meeting between two members and the
delegation had to take place outside the parliament. The sensitive
discussion proved lively.

Concurrent with the program for members of parliament, a program for DPR
staff addressed basic staff functions, research and reports, preparation
for hearings, oversight role, and information management. Participants
included committee staff and party staff researchers with a mix of
secretariat administrative staff and minimal participation from the
research service.

[Parliamentary Delegation]{.underline}

A five-person delegation from the Indonesian House of Representatives
participated in the first HDAC program in the United States from April
18 to 28, 2006. The delegation began its visit in the California state
legislature in Sacramento and the southern California districts of Reps.
David Dreier, Adam Schiff and Lois Capps before traveling to Washington.
The delegation was led by Deputy Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar. Other
participants can be found in Appendix B.

Chairman David Dreier hosted the delegation in his suburban Los Angeles
district, including a luncheon with local media to discuss relations
between legislators and the press. The next day, the delegation visited
the adjoining district of Rep. Adam Schiff, learning about constituent
relations and the operations of a district office. One pariticipant
later wrote to the Commission: "I believe all information I gained,
along with dialogues and discussions with you are of great sources for
Indonesia legislature's performance."

The delegation then traveled to Santa Barbara for a program with Rep.
Lois Capps, including visits to a public forum the congresswoman held on
Medicare, a university roundtable on religion in public life, and a
dinner meeting with local officials. In Washington, the adviser to the
Indonesia Speaker visited with staff from the office of Speaker Dennis
Hastert, in addition to the general program.

**Kenya**

The Commission program in Kenya seeks to assist reformers in the
National Assembly who are working to make their parliament a more
effective legislature by streamlining its internal rules and increasing
its capability to analyze budgets and legislation. The Commission sent a
congressional delegation to Kenya in July 2006 and invited a Kenyan
delegation to visit the United States in late August/early September
2006.

[Congressional Delegation]{.underline}

The House Democracy Assistance Commission conducted its second Member
assistance mission in Lebanon and Kenya from June 30 to July 9, 2006.
Led by Chairman David Dreier, the delegation included Reps. David Price,
John Boozman, Rush Holt, Michael Capuano, Donald Payne and Adam Schiff.
The delegation met with counterparts from the parliament of Kenya from
July 5 to 7.

The visit to Kenya by the HDAC delegation came at an opportune time and
established strong personal relationships with the leading reformers in
the National Assembly of Kenya. In particular, the creation of a budget
committee in the Kenyan parliament during the delegation's first day of
meetings and the establishment of an internal commission to revise the
archaic rules of procedure a few weeks earlier fostered a productive
environment for the visit. The delegation met with many of the strongest
advocates for reform in the parliament and offered guidance on the
importance of parliamentary independence and oversight. An assistance
session with committee chairs focused on the importance of public
hearings and oversight of the executive branch. Speaker Francis ole
Kaparo warmly welcomed the visit of the delegation, and encouraged
future cooperation through the HDAC program.

A breakfast working session with Members of the Public Accounts and
Public Investment Committees discussed the budget process. The National
Assembly passed legislation authorizing the creation of a Budget
Committee and independent Fiscal Analysis Office during the delegation's
visit.

On its third day in Kenya, the delegation visited the rural constituency
of Kajiado South, in southern Kenya. Katoo ole Metito, the local member
of parliament, took the delegation to visit three projects that had been
funded through the Constituency Development Fund, through which MPs
direct funding for infrastructure development in their districts. Among
these projects were a rural clinic, a water project, and a primary
school addition.

[Parliamentary Delegation]{.underline}

An 11-person delegation from the Kenyan National Assembly participated
in the second HDAC program in the United States from August 30 to
September 9, 2006. The delegation began its visit in the Alabama
district of Rep. Artur Davis before traveling to Washington. The
delegation was led by Speaker Francis ole Kaparo; other participants are
listed in Appendix C.

In Alabama, the delegation met with Mr. Davis, his district office
staff, and with community leaders from the Birmingham area to learn more
about constituent relations. The delegation also participated in a
medical roundtable discussion at the University of Alabama at
Birmingham. The civil rights movement past and present was a focal point
of the program, and the delegation held meetings at the Civil Rights
Institute, toured important sites in Selma, and visited the birthplace
of Coretta Scott King.

In Washington, CBO organized a program for four MPs and staff on the
workings of a budget office, which assisted the Kenyans in their work to
establish a budget analysis office in their own parliament. The
Commission arranged meetings between the Kenyan clerk and his House
counterpart, as well as meetings between a Kenyan drafter and staff of
the Committee on International Relations and the Office of the
Legislative Counsel on drafting legislation.

**Lebanon**

The demonstrations in Lebanon in Spring 2005 that resulted in the
election victory of pro-democracy forces led the Commission to seek to
establish a partnership with the National Assembly. This partnership was
approved in March 2006, and a congressional delegation visted Beirut in
July 2006. The conflict that began eight days later prevented a Lebanese
delegation from visiting the United States; however, HDAC remains
committed to cooperation with Lebanese MPs who are working to restore
democracy and sovereignty in their country.

[Congressional Delegation]{.underline}

The House Democracy Assistance Commission conducted its second Member
assistance mission in Lebanon and Kenya from June 30 to July 9, 2006.
Led by Chairman David Dreier, the delegation included Reps. David Price,
John Boozman, Rush Holt, Michael Capuano, Donald Payne and Adam Schiff.
The delegation met with counterparts from the Lebanese National Assembly
on July 3 and 4. The Commission's meetings in the Lebanese National
Assembly drew an interested, engaged, and sizable group of MPs. A key
point made by many MPs concerned the need to move beyond the sectarian
system that has governed Lebanese politics for more than 60 years and
create a united Lebanese democracy.

Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese National Assembly, expressed
his support for collaboration between the U.S. House of Representatives
and the National Assembly under the auspices of the House Democracy
Assistance Commission. He specifically raised the issue of the need to
build a research capability within the parliament. The delegation held
three assistance sessions with Lebanese MPs, focused on the role of the
legislature as an independent branch of government and the necessity of
conducting oversight of the executive; budget and finance oversight; and
the importance of independent staff and research analysis.

[Parliamentary delegation]{.underline}

Because of the military conflict in July and August, a Lebanese
delegation was not able to participate in the HDAC program that began on
August 30. The Commission pledged to invite a Lebanese delegation to
participate in the next inbound program.

[Material assistance]{.underline}

Prior to the delegation's visit, the Commission had targeted the library
as an important resource for the Lebanese National Assembly, and the
Library of Congress compiled a bibliography of recommended materials for
that facility. Recognizing the importance of a parliamentary library as
an independent source of information for MPs, the delegation brought a
set of books that represented the first installment of a \$10,000 gift
of materials to the library. Two experts from the Library of Congress
office in Cairo held concurrent meetings in the parliament with library
staff and others to help design a program of assistance to the library.

**Macedonia**

The Commission seeks to assist the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia
in developing its committee structure and outreach to constituents, as
well as its information technology infrastructure. HDAC invited a
Macedonian delegation to the United States in April 2006, sent a
congressional delegation to Macedonia in November 2006, and donated a
computer server.

[Congressional Delegation]{.underline}

The House Democracy Assistance Commission conducted its third Member
assistance mission in Macedonia and Afghanistan from November 19 to 28,
2006. Led by Chairman David Dreier, the delegation included Reps. David
Price, Lois Capps and Earl Pomeroy. The delegation met with counterparts
from the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia from November 20 to 22.
Members and Macedonian MPs had the opportunity to discuss topics ranging
from the Assembly's new rules of procedure to the role of government and
opposition coalitions. A concurrent staff program gave congressional and
Macedonian staff the chance to discuss many of the same topics and to
build personal relationships for future contacts.

The delegation began its program in the city of Ohrid, in southwestern
Macedonia, discussing constituent relations with local MPs. The
delegation then spent two days working with MPs in the nation's capital,
Skopje. The Macedonian group included several MPs who had participated
in the HDAC program in April in the United States, and they spoke highly
of the lessons that they learned during three days in the Michigan
district of Rep. Candice Miller. One of them told the delegation,
"Everything that I learned in the States I will be able to use to
strengthen our young democracy. I know that whenever I have a question,
I will be able to talk to you."

Ljubisha Georgievski, the president of the Assembly, also told the
delegation of the need for more expert staff, and he spoke of the need
for ethics rules in the parliament. Concurrently, U.S. and Macedonian
staff exchanged information and perspectives on the Assembly's new draft
rules and the work of the commission responsible for rules, mandates,
and immunity.

The issue of inadequate staffing was raised in a meeting with the chairs
of committees in the Assembly. Concurrently, congressional staff
discussed the staff work of committees and the role of information
technology. Staff also met with staff of the Research and Analysis
Department of the Assembly and discussed several principles that guide
the work of a legislative research facility, especially the notion of a
legislature having its own dedicated resource of information and
analysis. The delegation's final meetings in the Assembly focused on the
role of majority and opposition parties and revisited many of the themes
covered during the three-day program.

[Parliamentary Delegation]{.underline}

A 10-person delegation from the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia
participated in the first HDAC program in the United States from April
18 to 28, 2006. The delegation began its visit in the Michigan state
legislature in Lansing before driving to the suburban Detroit district
of Rep. Candice Miller, home to the largest Macedonian-American
population in the country, before traveling to Washington for the
program in Congress. The delegation was led by Deputy Speaker Slobodan
Najdovski. Other participants are listed in Appendix B.

In Lansing, the program focused on the work of legislative committees,
which is a core element of both the NDI and the HDAC programs in the
Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia. The delegation also visited the
nearby University of Michigan before traveling to Mrs. Miller's office
in Utica, north of Detroit. In addition to learning about the operations
of her district office, the delegation participated in several events
with the Macedonian-American community in the area.

[Material assistance]{.underline}

During the congressional delegation in November, Chairman Dreier and the
delegation had an opportunity to dedicate a plaque just outside the
plenary chamber that commemorates the Commission's donation of a
\$50,000 computer server to the Assembly. This server will enable the
Assembly to move away from its reliance on hard copies of documents and
to develop internet-accessible resources like a legislative information
system.

The delegation also toured renovated committee meeting areas and a
little-used meeting room that President Georgievski plans to convert
into a larger parliamentary library, with about 2,500 square feet of
space. The delegation asked the Assembly to keep the Commission updated
on the progress of this initiative so that the Commission might be able
to offer advice and other assistance as the project goes forward.

**[Studies]{.underline}**

**Introduction**

In accordance with Section 5(b) of H. Res. 135, the Commission conducted
studies of the feasibility of assistance programs in eight countries
that have established or are developing democratic parliaments that
would benefit from assistance by the Commission. Recognizing that
several promising candidates in the Western Hemisphere were holding
parliamentary elections in late 2005 and early 2006, the Commission
decided to undertake two separate regional studies in 2006 -- the first
for all regions outside the Western Hemisphere, the second looking only
at candidates in the Western Hemisphere. The Commission also studied the
parliaments of Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Ukraine, following a
Commission decision to undertake assessments of these legislatures as
special cases for immediate consideration.

Staff in February undertook a series of roundtable discussions on
candidate legislatures with experts from CRS, USAID, International
Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute for
International Affairs (NDI), and other organizations active in
parliamentary strengthening. Following those discussions, staff
undertook a desk study of the parliaments in eight of those countries.
In March, the Commission reviewed the findings of the desk study and
directed staff to undertake on-site assessment visits to three
countries: Morocco, Mongolia and Liberia. These visits were conducted
from March to July. In each country, staff met with officials from the
Department of State and USAID; implementers of the USAID-funded
parliamentary strengthening program; members of parliament, including
speakers, committee chairs, and party leaders; senior parliamentary
staff; and outside organizations that work with parliament.

On the basis of those assessments reports, the Commission unanimously
agreed to conduct 2007 assistance programs in Mongolia and Liberia. The
Commission decided to defer further consideration of a program in
Morocco, believing that fundamental political reforms are needed there
for the parliament to play an independent and substantive role in the
legislative process and government oversight, as set forth in Section
5(b)(1) of H. Res. 135.

Staff undertook a subsequent roundtable discussion in May 2006 with
experts on parliaments in the Western Hemisphere. In July 2006, the
Commission reviewed the ensuing desk study and directed staff to conduct
on-site assessments of the parliaments of Colombia and Haiti in August
and September. On the basis of those assessment reports, the Commission
unanimously agreed to establish partnerships in both of those countries.

As the Commission had directed in the previous year, staff undertook
additional assessment missions to Lebanon in January 2006, to
Afghanistan in February 2006, and to Ukraine in October 2006. On the
basis of those reports, the Commission unanimously agreed to establish
partnerships in all three countries. In lieu of an assessment visit, the
Commission requested a desk study on the feasibility of a program with
the Iraqi parliament. After reviewing that study, the Chairman and
Ranking Member deferred consideration of a program in Iraq.

Following decisions undertaken by the Commission in 2006, the Commission
will begin 2007 with 12 partner legislatures: Afghanistan, Colombia,
East Timor, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia,
Macedonia, Mongolia, and Ukraine.

**Afghanistan**

A five-member staff delegation of the House Democracy Assistance
Commission visited Kabul from February 26 to March 2, 2006, for a needs
assessment of the Afghan National Assembly. The bicameral Afghan
National Assembly was inaugurated in late December 2005 following the
country's successful parliamentary elections in September. The
249-member Wolesi Jirga (lower house) is directly elected on a
province-wide basis; the 102-member Meshrano Jirga (upper house) is
appointed by district councils, provincial legislatures and the
president. The staff assessment focused on the lower house, given that
its members are elected.

The Commission was impressed by the apparent commitment of the
Assembly's members to the success of a democratic legislature. Militia
leaders who fought one another during decades of civil war seem willing
to resolve differences through the political process. Likewise, Speaker
Yunus Qanooni and all of the MPs with whom the delegation met were
receptive toward a partnership with the House. These meetings included
conservative Islamic scholars, former communists, mujaddehin fighters
and an Afghan-American businessman, as well as the woman serving as
deputy speaker. Members and staff were open to advice from the United
States and had numerous questions about the American system.

The Commission found that the parliament had received extensive
assistance from the UN Development Program (UNDP), which has a two-year,
\$15.5 million program, and USAID, which has a three-year, \$8 million
contract with the State University of New York (SUNY) Center for
International Development. Donors had been working with the staff for a
year and with the members since the September 2005 elections; thanks to
this early support, the parliament was assessed to be in a good position
to receive HDAC assistance. SUNY conducted an orientation for new
members before parliament was inaugurated and plans ongoing work,
focused on improving the capacity of members and staff and developing
the secretariat as an institution. Budgetary expertise was found to be
particularly lacking.

Parliament was meeting in the same building used by the pre-1973
legislature, which was quickly renovated by international donors.
Plenary chambers are functional, but MPs do not have individual offices,
and there are only 10 committee rooms to accommodate the 34 committees
between the two chambers. As a result, committees were meeting anywhere
from the library to a corner of the plenary chamber. India was
reportedly planning to spend \$25 million to rehabilitate the bombed-out
Darulaman Palace for the permanent parliament building; the building is
large enough, but much work will need to be done to transform its
hollowed-out shell. UNDP had provided substantial information technology
assistance, and the parliament has 200 networked computers with internet
access. There were no plans to create a legislative information system.

The library was well furnished and well staffed (with nine trained
librarians), but it lacked basic reference materials. The director
expressed a strong interest in establishing contacts between the
Parliament Library and the Library of Congress, including the LOC
Islamabad office. She also expressed interest in the LOC Global Legal
Information Network (GLIN). The library was found to be in need of
additional books and reference materials, as well as staff training in
the basic functions of a legislative library. The library staff provided
the delegation with a list of books and publications that already have
been purchased or requested from other donors.

The assessment delegation found that the Professional and Legal Studies
Department was serving as both the research service and legislative
counsel, with a director, eight researchers, and two legal drafters. The
director of the research unit could benefit from meeting with staff of
the Congressional Research Service and House Legislative Counsel. Other
staff could benefit from an HDAC training program in Kabul.

Parliament has authority over its own staff of 275 hired through a
central human resources office, though the two chambers are moving
toward splitting the unified secretariat into units for each house. The
Finance Ministry set the FY 2006 parliamentary budget; MPs believed that
the parliament may be able to determine its own budget in future years.
Professional staff numbered about 40. Committees had one staffer each;
plans called for hiring a second staffer for each committee, with the
vision of having one policy expert and one clerk for each panel. Despite
the context, the parliament appeared to HDAC staff to be an emerging
institution that was taken seriously by Afghans, and parliamentarians
appeared committed to developing the institution.

The Commission on March 15, 2006, agreed unanimously to a partnership
with the Afghan National Assembly, focusing on the directly elected
lower house. This program will include work with the committees of the
Wolesi Jirga; assistance to MPs and staff who work on budget analysis;
training and material assistance to the parliamentary library; and
technical assistance to the Professional and Legal Studies Department,
both in its role as a parliamentary research service and in legislative
drafting.

**Colombia**

A seven-member staff delegation of the House Democracy Assistance
Commission visited Bogota from August 14 to 18, 2006, for a needs
assessment of the Colombian congress. The 185-year-old Colombian
congress historically had been a weak actor in a political system
dominated by the executive. Constitutional changes in 1991 and a new
electoral law for the March 2006 elections laid the groundwork for the
congress to become a co-equal partner in the legislative process;
however, the majority seemed content to defer to President Alvaro Uribe.

Leaders were eager to receive Commission assistance, but chamber
presidents and committee chairs serve one-year terms, an obstacle to
sustaining reform. A Modernization Commission was created in the last
congress to coordinate reform efforts and is a logical interlocutor for
the Commission.

The congress that took office on July 20 is made up of a 166-seat House
of Representatives, whose members are elected from party lists in each
province, and a 102-seat Senate, which is elected from nationwide party
lists. Changes to the electoral law resulted in a dramatic reduction of
parties winning congressional seats and enabled the creation of
pro-Uribe and opposition blocs. Many parties were found to be organized
around the personalities of their candidates rather than ideological
platforms. The main challenge then facing the parties in parliament was
deciding how they would implement a law reforming legislative
procedures, which includes a requirement that their members vote the
party line except on "votes of conscience."

The congress occupied a grand, historic building on the main square of
Bogota, and facilities were comfortable. Committee rooms included
seating for the public at hearings.

Personal staffs were the main source of policy support to members.
Members are given a personal office budget that enables them to hire
staffs of four to ten at their own discretion. While most used their
budgets to employ political advisors and patronage hires, most Members
also had a few legislative assistants. Committee staffs were limited in
the policy support they can provide; while committees had a dozen
employees, on average only two of those were professional staff. This
and the absence of a research service leave the congress with little
policy expertise. The congressional library provides little legislative
support to members and staff.

USAID had funded a \$1.2 million, three-year program to strengthen the
Colombian congress that was an adjunct to a larger program of assistance
to provincial and local governments. Implemented by Associates for Rural
Development, the program established a Legislative Technical Assistance
Office (LTAO) and a Citizen Services Office (CSO). The LTAO uses college
interns to research exhaustive studies of proposed legislation of
several hundred pages. The CSO is an effective constituent liaison, but
there is no U.S. counterpart office. The ARD project also developed a
proposal for creation of a budget analysis unit.

The Commission on September 28, 2006, approved a partnership with the
Colombian congress. This program will emphasize to members and staff the
importance of independent research and analysis; support development of
a budget analysis unit if it is created; discuss the role of political
parties in a legislature; underscore the responsibilities of members to
their electorate; and discuss congressional oversight of the executive
branch.

**Haiti**

A six-member staff delegation of the House Democracy Assistance
Commission visited Port-Au-Prince from September 11 to 15, 2006, for a
needs assessment of the Haitian National Assembly. The delegation found
a fledgling legislature struggling to learn and fulfill its role in a
nascent democracy. Working conditions were challenging, especially the
extreme lack of physical space, with only a handful of serviceable
meeting rooms. Only the five Members of the leadership of each chamber
have offices; other Members, committees, and support staff lack offices
altogether. A donation by the executive branch of two nearby buildings
will improve the situation somewhat. Members are proud of the "200-year
history" of the parliament, but recognize that an overpowering executive
has dominated parliament for most of that time.

Free and fair elections in February 2006 led to the inauguration in July
2006 of a 99-member Chamber of Deputies and a 30-member Senate. A vast
majority are serving their first term. Members were uncertain about
their roles and responsibilities, and basic member education should form
the core of an HDAC program. Because both chambers are popularly
elected, it would be appropriate for HDAC to work with both houses.

[]{.mark}

The National Assembly was found to be overstaffed, and most staff do not
serve legislative functions. The Assembly had 400 staff (reduced from
600), yet Members lack personal, committee, or party caucus staff. The
Commission could offer its advice on how the staffing structure should
be reformed and develop a staff-to-staff program if committee staffs, a
research service, and an improved library are developed. Staff in each
chamber is under the authority of a secretary general (a former speaker
holds this position in the Chamber), and is divided between legislative
and administrative branches. The legislative staff includes those
responsible for plenary sessions, committee meetings, public relations,
and the archives, as well as legislative drafters.

[]{.mark}

The Capitol's physical space was found to be severely deficient. The
parliament consisted of two rundown buildings, one for each chamber.
There were five committee rooms for more than 35 committees; constraints
are so severe that some committee meetings were held in the personal
offices of parliamentary leaders. Haitian MPs believed that their
greatest need is for a new facility, followed by office equipment and
supplies, training for MPs and staff, and security. In the meantime, the
executive branch donated two buildings near the parliament to the
National Assembly which were being remodeled. The long-term plan calls
for construction of a new \$30 million building by 2010, but funding has
not been identified.

The parliament was conducting its own needs assessment, which it was to
coordinate with the large number of international donors aiding the
parliament. Once that assessment is completed and coordinated with the
donors, the Commission might consider material assistance, particularly
in the area of research capacity, should the assembly choose to invest
in that area. The library was small and lacks recently published
materials; the archives are severely lacking in certain areas, such as
voting records. Information technology was largely non-existent. There
was no Internet access or local area network, and there are very few
functioning computers.

One proposal would create a "documentation center" which would house the
library, archives, legislative drafters, researchers, and some
information technology functions. Should the National Assembly move
forward with this project, it could prove to be a project well suited
for material assistance from the Commission. Such a project would also
benefit significantly from the expertise of CRS in organizing and
developing a research service.

[]{.mark}

USAID signed a three-year, \$3 million program to strengthen the
National Assembly with the

SUNY Center for International Development. Under the contract, SUNY will
implement a legislative strengthening program focusing on Member
education and committee strengthening, in close coordination with the
Canadian aid agency. While the SUNY program was just getting off the
ground, IRI was continuing its work to strengthen political parties in
advance of by-elections scheduled for February 2007, and NDI was drawing
up plans to help MPs with constituent relations in each of Haiti's 15
political districts.

Given the strong historical ties between the U.S. and Haiti, a
Commission partnership with Haiti could play a significant role in
helping to jumpstart an effective legislative branch there. Receptivity
for an HDAC program was extremely high on the part of the Haitian MPs,
across all political spectrums.

On September 28, 2006, the Commission approved a program with the
Haitian National Assembly, beginning in 2007. The Commission will assist
the Haitian parliament in developing committee operations, including
public hearings and oversight; developing ethics rules and an
enforcement mechanism; and offering other needed material assistance.

**Iraq**

Consistent with the House Democracy Assistance Commission's decision of
September 28, 2006, HDAC staff did not travel to Baghdad to conduct this
assessment report. Rather, as requested, this assessment was made
utilizing all available information from the U.S. Government and
implementing agencies on the feasibility of an HDAC program with the
Iraqi Council of Representatives.

The Iraqi Council of Representatives, the first legislature elected
under Iraq's new constitution, took office in spring 2006 and consists
of 275 Members. While the Constitution calls for a second body
representing the regions to be created, no such action has been taken.
The December 2005 election results were largely in line with the
sectarian makeup of the country. The Shiite coalition won over 40
percent of the seats and its coalition partner, the Kurdistan Alliance,
garnered another 20 percent. Sunni parties received roughly 20 percent,
while secular parties generally fared poorly.

The Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives (ICR) is Sunni
leader Mahmoud Mashhadani. He has been willing, to some extent, to work
with both the International Republican Institute and the National
Democratic Institute on improving the technical capacity of the ICR and
in particular, his leadership office. Both IRI and NDI have substantial
parliamentary strengthening programs ongoing in the ICR.

Security and safety of both Americans and Iraqis is of paramount
concern. Security restrictions could limit the effectiveness of a
program on the ground in Baghdad, and there is evidence that Iraqi
parliamentary staff and Representatives have been directly targeted for
attack.

The Commission decided to defer a decision on a program with Iraq until
such time as the political and security situation is appropriate for a
full staff assessment to be conducted in Baghdad. Members of the Iraqi
Council of Representatives are trying to rebuild their country and
prevent civil war, so a strong focus on institutional strengthening may
be lacking. All political attention for the foreseeable future will be
on passing reforms and getting them through the required referendum
process. It would be difficult for an HDAC program to be productive in a
political environment in which Iraqis are deciding the fate of their
country and its government.

**Lebanon**

A five-member staff delegation of the House Democracy Assistance
Commission visited Beirut from January 23 to 27, 2006, for a needs
assessment of the Lebanese National Assembly. While a country of fewer
than 4 million people, Lebanon has an importance that far outweighs its
size. The most democratic country in the Arab world, Lebanon has had a
parliament since 1926, during the French mandate.

The assassination in 2005 of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri led to
massive protests in Lebanon by an estimated 1 million people (25 percent
of the population). This so-called Cedar Revolution, combined with
international pressure led by the United States and France, led Syria to
withdraw its military forces, though a significant intelligence presence
is believed to remain. The timing was fortuitous, as scheduled elections
in May and June 2005 resulted in the "March 14" alliance led by Rafiq
Hariri's son Saad gaining 72 of the 128 seats in parliament. A rival,
mostly Christian alliance led by former Gen. Michel Aoun gained 21
seats, and the mostly pro-Syrian Shiite alliance has 33 seats (including
15 seats for the speaker's Amal bloc and 14 seats held by Hizballah, a
terrorist organization).

The Lebanese political system is unique in the way that it apportions
all political offices among the various religious communities. Under
this system, the speaker's position is reserved for a Shiite Muslim
politician. As a result, Speaker Nabih Berri was re-elected to his post
after the Spring 2005 elections, despite the electoral triumph of the
reform bloc of Saad Hariri. Thus, the confessional system has led to a
situation where a minority politician controls the levers of parliament,
both in setting the legislative agenda and controlling the institution.
An HDAC program in Lebanon would operate in a delicate political
environment of which Members would need to be particularly conscious.

Under the Lebanese system, all staff are hired by the Secretariat, which
is controlled by the speaker. There were only about 40 to 50
professional staff for the entire parliament, and most are political
loyalists. Most committees had only a clerk who is responsible for
administrative matters, so there was no policy expertise or analysis
available to chairs or members. Most MPs hired their own receptionists,
and they turned to professional colleagues outside parliament to provide
policy advice and analysis.

The Lebanese parliament has a functioning library that is regarded
highly by many Members, staff, and NGOs. The library seemed to be the
main information resource for Members within the parliament. The library
organized weekly workshops for Members to familiarize them with the
resources and materials available to them from the library. Though
small, the library is relatively well furnished. It housed about 20,000
volumes, mostly in French. However, its English-language collections
were sparse, consisting of only some 1,500 publications. The library was
eager to expand its English-language collections, especially since many
Members and staff have fluency in English. The library had extensive
unused shelf space, allowing for considerable expansion of its
collections. The Library includes a conference room that is widely used
for meetings and workshops involving Members and outside groups.

The library is a good candidate for immediate HDAC assistance. HDAC has
decided to donate some key reference materials, based on the core
bibliography for parliamentary libraries, currently being updated by the
Library of Congress. These materials will include books and electronic
media; the first donation of books was made in July 2006. USAID has
funded a program through the SUNY Center for Legislative Development
that focused on technological assistance, such as a legislative
information system and a parliamentary website.

Lebanon presents a challenging political and security environment, but
it is a country where an HDAC program can prove extremely beneficial in
supporting a sovereign Lebanese democracy. While Lebanon always retained
elements of democracy, the withdrawal of Syrian forces allowed for free
elections to be held. While many Lebanese politicians remain sympathetic
to Syria, particularly in the Shiite Muslim-dominated parties, Lebanese
politicians regained freedom to maneuver and no longer need to gain
approval from Damascus. As a result, House Members have the opportunity
to work with Lebanese MPs who are attempting to assert their
independence and solidify their sovereign democracy.

The Commission on March 15, 2006, unanimously agreed to a partnership
with the Lebanese National Assembly. This program will focus on advice
to reformist members of parliament, particularly committee chairmen, who
are in a position to play an important role. HDAC will also offer
additional materials and advice to the parliamentary library, with the
assistance of the LOC office in Cairo, and will work with USAID to
identify areas in which the Commission could complement future work that
USAID may undertake.

**Liberia**

A five-member staff delegation visited Liberia from July 8 to 12 for a
needs assessment of the Liberian Congress. The delegation found a
fledgling legislature struggling to learn and fulfill its role in a
nascent democracy. Working conditions were abysmal, with sporadic
electricity and sweltering offices far too small for the large staffs.
Members prized their institutional independence as a co-equal branch of
government, but had not fully grasped the role of the legislature
relative to that of the executive, particularly in lawmaking and
oversight.

The Liberian political system is explicitly modeled on the U.S. system,
with a bicameral congress consisting of a 64-member House of
Representatives, elected from individual districts, and a 30-member
Senate, with two senators from each county.

Liberia started a rebuilding process after a peace accord was signed in
August 2003, ending years of war and poor governance that left it
destitute. Free and fair elections in October 2005 led to the
inauguration in January 2006 of a congress in which 86 percent of
members are serving their first term. Some are former civil war faction
leaders or associates of former president and war crimes indictee
Charles Taylor, including the new Speaker of the House. Members were
uncertain about their roles, responsibilities, and relationship to the
executive, and basic member education should form the core of an HDAC
program. Because the Liberian constitution was modeled on the American
one, the structure of the congress is similar to our own, making the
American experience particularly valuable to Liberian legislators.

The Capitol, a 1956 building that houses both chambers, was ravaged by
the civil war and was barely functional. The lack of a municipal
electric grid left the Capitol dependent on inadequate generators.
Offices had electricity for only half a day when the congress was not in
session; power was cut to offices during sessions to provide lighting
and sound for the chambers.

The Congress was overstaffed and structured so that members did not
receive the support that they needed to legislate effectively and
exercise oversight. Each House member had 12 personal staffers on the
congressional payroll -- often including a cook, driver and gardener at
home -- while senators had 14 staffers, most of whom were assigned
administrative roles. Members did not control their own staff budgets,
so hiring fewer staff at higher salaries was not an option. The greatest
deficiency was the complete absence of any committee staff. Furthermore,
duplication between House and Senate staff was rife, most notably in the
dual research departments.

The library was cramped and devoid of current materials; the archives
were dark and sweltering, with huge chunks of Liberia's legislative
history having been destroyed. Stenographers recorded proceedings by
hand and transcribed their shorthand notes on manual typewriters. The
House did have a computer room with 11 PCs, but it was located far from
the library and not available to senators or their staff.

USAID plans a two-year, \$5 million program to strengthen democracy in
Liberia through the Consortium for Elections and Political Processes
Strengthening (CEPPS), comprising IRI, NDI and IFES. Under the contract,
scheduled to begin August 1, NDI will implement a legislative
strengthening program focusing on constituent relations and committee
strengthening. Among its goals will be to open committee meetings to the
public, develop committee staffs, and build up a research service. IRI
will work with political parties, while IFES will work with the national
election commission. The other major donor is the European Union, which
is funding a two-year, \$1.2 million legislative strengthening program
being implemented by Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation. That program
has set up workshops and exchange programs in Africa and Europe. UNDP is
coordinating assistance.

On July 26, 2006, the Commission agreed unanimously to a partnership
with the Liberian congress. Depending on the development of the staff
structure over the next several months, staff-to-staff assistance could
include the Liberian research service; legislative library setup and
operations; legislative drafting; stenography, records and archives; and
congressional administration. The Commission has sent a recommendation
to the leaders of both chambers on how the staff structure might be
reformed.

USAID has funded a \$1.8 million renovation of the Liberian Capitol
building. The Commission will consider material assistance to the
Liberian congress upon completion of this project, at which time it will
be possible to assess what additional needs are greatest, as well as
where the congress intends to devote its own resources.

**Mongolia**

A four-member staff delegation of the House Democracy Assistance
Commission visited Ulan Bator from May 9 to 13, 2006, for a needs
assessment of the Mongolian State Great Hural. The delegation found MPs
committed to strengthening their institution and staff who took pride in
their role as aides to elected legislators. As a former Soviet-bloc
state, the political transition in Mongolia is similar in ways to that
in other former communist countries, including the presence of a
well-organized former communist party that regularly wins elections.
Given the country's location in North Asia, surrounded by Russia and
China, the future of its democracy is of strategic importance.

The Hural became more relevant in the wake of the 2004 elections, which
produced a thin majority for the former communists after they had
dominated 72 of the 76 seats in the previous legislature. Members were
directly elected from single-member districts to four-year terms. Senior
MPs were committed to developing their institution as an independent
branch of government that plays a greater role in the legislative
process and serves as a more effective check on the executive. The most
notable trend was the decentralization of authority from leadership and
a Secretariat to give committees more power and staff (four per
committee).

The Hural was well-staffed, well-equipped, and well-housed compared to
many legislatures that Commission staff have assessed. MPs each had two
personal staff -- one in the capital and one in the district. In
addition to the 112-person Secretariat, each of the seven committees has
its own staff of five or six, including a counsel and a policy expert.
Each party caucus was entitled to staff, but the 2004 breakup of the
opposition coalition left it ineligible for partisan staff, so the
ruling party was the only caucus with its own staff (19). The
Secretariat included legislative counsel and central administration.

All MPs and staff have offices in the massive Government House on the
central square that also houses the offices of the president and prime
minister and their staffs. A successful United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) effort gave the Hural sufficient computer infrastructure,
and MPs and staff had adequate office space in parliament. The UNDP
program also established parliamentary information centers in each
province.

USAID has been promoting democracy in Mongolia since 1992; its
parliamentary program is being implemented by IRI. IRI successfully
assisted the parliament in drafting and passing new procedures, and
ethics legislation was a priority. IRI has also worked with the
parliament to move to a more decentralized staff structure, with
committee staff operating independently of the centralized secretariat.
The IRI program focuses in several areas in which the Commission can add
value by contributing the personal expertise of House Members and staff,
such as committee strengthening and ethics. The Asia Foundation promotes
legislation to combat corruption and human trafficking and commissioned
a study on strengthening research capacity. A USAID-funded economic
analysis center for the government trained MPs and staff to understand
economic legislation.

The State Great Hural lacked a significant independent research and
analysis center. Two previous incarnations were dissolved in the
parliament's first decade. There was an external Policy Analysis
Institute, which contracted with outside researchers for studies for the
parliament, but it was poorly funded and rarely used. MPs voiced the
need for more research and analysis capability, but they evinced little
support for paying for it themselves. Several MPs expressed hope that
outside donors would pay for a research center. Committee professional
staff were the most likely to become experts on a subject and to benefit
from CRS advice.

The parliamentary library had an adequate space and appeared to be
well-used by MPs and staff. In addition to a sizable collection of
Mongolian-, Russian- and English-language books and periodicals, the
library staff operated a clipping service that collected articles of
interest. Many of the materials were outdated. The library seemed to
receive new materials only from donors..

Public committee hearings were permitted under the new procedures, but
they remained rare. Instead, committees established "working groups" of
MPs, staff, and outside experts to consider each significant bill. MPs
and staff expressed hope that the Commission could advise them how to
organize and conduct hearings. They also requested advice on House
ethics rules and how they are implemented, and on learning more about
the decentralized staff structure of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Mongolian parliament presents an excellent opportunity for a
Commission program to build on work already undertaken to help develop
an independent, democratic legislature.

The Commission on May 25, 2006, approved a partnership with the State
Great Hural of Mongolia. This program will focus on committee
strengthening; developing and enforcing an ethics code; and constituent
relations. House Members and staff may also offer advice on how Mongolia
can implement a more decentralized administrative structure. The
Commission has agreed to provide modest material assistance, including
six fax/copier/scanners and a modest donation of library materials.

**Morocco**

A five-member staff delegation of the House Democracy Assistance
Commission visited Rabat from March 20-25, 2006, for a needs assessment
of the Moroccan Chamber of Representatives, the lower house of
parliament. The delegation concluded that an HDAC program in Morocco in
2007 would be premature. The Commission shared that conclusion, agreeing
on April 5, 2006, to defer consideration of a program in Morocco.

King Mohammad VI remains the ultimate arbiter in Moroccan politics, as
he appoints the government. Many Moroccan politicians spoke of how the
king must declare his desire for an initiative before they even begin to
draft a proposal to conform to his will. While Morocco is not yet a full
democracy, the king greatly liberalized the political system in his
first seven years on the throne. Constitutional changes began in 1996,
but the 1997 parliamentary elections were manipulated. It was not until
the current parliament was elected in 2002 that free and fair elections
were held. The king promoted liberal initiatives, and most U.S. and
Moroccan officials expected him to continue political liberalization.

The 1996 constitution explicitly enables the executive to constrain
parliament's power. Specifically, the constitution permits the finance
ministry to reject any amendment or private member bill that increases
spending or decreases revenues, thus rendering budget oversight
virtually impossible. Furthermore, it permits the government to "declare
the unsuitability of any proposal or amendment considered outside the
purview of the legislative power" and permits the government to demand
an up-or-down vote on a bill prior to consideration of amendments
proposed by MPs. Some MPs believed the king would propose constitutional
amendments to enhance parliament\'s powers, but he had not signaled his
intention to do so.

The 325-seat Chamber of Representatives is chosen by universal suffrage
for six-year terms. Thirty seats are reserved for women. The lower house
is the only branch of government that does not report directly to the
King. However, MPs conducted themselves with reflexive deference to the
monarch and not independently. Individual MPs did not have staff,
telephones, or faxes and did not appear to seek or know how to seek
independent sources of information or outside expertise. Votes were not
recorded or published. There was no internal reform caucus.

The Secretary General of the parliament, an executive branch appointee,
administered the parliament and drafted legislation. All parliamentary
staff were paid by the executive branch. The budget of parliament was
\$23 million, of which \$18 million was devoted to salaries. Parties
operated in seven parliamentary groups of 20 or more MPs, which
appointed deputy speakers. Parties had equipment and were permitted to
hire one staffer for every five MPs. Some smaller parties were not part
of groups. MPs relied on ministers and on party caucuses for
information.

There were only 118 offices for all 325 deputies in the 1920-era
building and only 200 employees for the entire Chamber of
Representatives. The 270-seat Chamber of Counselors, the upper house, is
indirectly elected for nine-year terms, with one-third elected every
three years, through regional, local, and professional councils. The
staff assessment focused only on the elected lower chamber. Both
chambers shared a single plenary hall, and committees from the upper and
lower house shared each committee room. This was expected to improve
once the Chamber of Counselors moved into its own space next door. The
parliament also obtained the nearby Treasury building for office space.

USAID was funding a program through SUNY that focused on strengthening
committees (there are six in each chamber), creating a budget analysis
office, and developing the advocacy skills of civil society
organizations. NDI was working with parliamentary caucuses to increase
their understanding of key issues and was working with individual MPs on
outreach to constituents and the media. The National Conference of State
Legislatures (NCSL) completed a program with staff from the Moroccan
parliament and three other Arab legislatures that included visits to the
United States. In addition, UNDP worked on information technology in
parliament and had a project to create a parliamentary research service.

**Ukraine**

A four-member staff delegation of the House Democracy Assistance
Commission visited Kiev from October 16 to 20, 2006, for a needs
assessment of the Verkhovna Rada. The delegation found an advanced
legislature that benefited from earlier U.S. assistance programs. While
the delegation considered the possibility that the Rada might be too
advanced for a Commission program, the final consensus was that an
advanced program could benefit the parliament and demonstrate
congressional support for Ukrainian democracy, a conclusion that was
endorsed by the Commission.

The Orange Revolution in Ukraine in late 2004 boosted Ukrainian
democracy. Parliamentary elections in March 2006 were judged the freest
and fairest in Ukrainian history. The 450 deputies were elected from a
national system of proportional representation, with a 3 percent
threshold for entering parliament, which resulted in only five parties
gaining seats. Previously, half of deputies were elected from
single-member districts, with the remainder entering on party lists.
Deputies were working through the implications of the new system, which
was likely to make MPs more dependent on their parties and possibly less
responsive to voters.

The Ukrainian parliament was the best-resourced parliament the HDAC
assessment team visited. The parliamentary complex included 13 office
buildings, more than adequate office space, and numerous committee and
meeting rooms. The main building dates to 1939, when it was built to
house the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic; its
plenary hall was as technologically advanced as any elsewhere in Europe,
with electronic voting, television consoles at every MP's desk, and two
big-screen TVs.

The Rada was staffed by 1,100 civil servants, many of whom worked for
the 26 parliamentary committees. In addition, each Member of Parliament
was allowed to hire four full-time staff in Kiev to serve at the will of
the Member; in addition, each MP could have up to 27 volunteers outside
of Kiev (one in each province). Additionally, each of the five factions
in the Rada was entitled to one paid staffer for every five MPs; each
faction had between four and 37 staffers, most of whom were legislative
staff.

Ukraine's new 2004 constitution gives the prime minister greater powers
relative to the president, and supporters of Prime Minister Yanukovich
in the Rada were eager to increase the role of parliament at the expense
of the president. Within the parliament, the switch to a party list
system had the five factions in the parliament searching for the proper
role of parties relative to individual deputies. Members of the Rada
welcomed the prospects of increased cooperation with the U.S. Congress.
Rada members were eager to discuss pressing policy issues on their
legislative agenda and to learn about the U.S. experience in addressing
similar issues. The Rada would benefit from HDAC discussions regarding
executive oversight, the role of party platforms, and related matters.

U.S. parliamentary strengthening programs showed great success. The
Congressional Research Service operated an ambitious program from 1992
to 1996 that introduced computer technology to the Rada and laid the
groundwork for today's system; however, CRS efforts to develop a library
and research service proved less successful. The USAID-funded program is
implemented by the Indiana University Parliamentary Development Project
and focused on advanced subjects like the organization of committee
field hearings.

The Commission on November 14, 2006, agreed unanimously to a partnership
with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. This program will include advice on
how Rada committees can improve their oversight role; the role of
parties in a legislature; specific policy issues common to both
legislatures; developing and enforcing ethics rules; and how to use
information technology to improve transparency and facilitate
communication.

**[Proposed Commission Activities in 2007]{.underline}**

**Introduction**

Section 5(a) of H. Res. 135 provides that the Commission shall undertake
activities in three broad areas: (1) Provide expert advice from House
Members and staff to members and staff of parliaments of selected
countries; (2) Enable members and staff of parliaments of selected
countries to learn about the operations of the House of Representatives;
(3) Provide recommendations to the administrator of USAID regarding the
provision of material assistance.

The Commission will carry out the first activity by organizing a series
of delegations of House Members and staff to visit each selected
country. Those delegations will meet with members and staff of the
parliament of each selected country and will offer expert advice in
areas requested by each parliament. The commission will carry out the
second activity by organizing programs in the United States for members
and staff of selected parliaments. The commission will make
recommendations regarding the provision of material assistance to the
administrator of USAID on the basis of the findings of the staff
assessment visits and the upcoming congressional delegations, with the
assistance to be provided out of Economic Support Assistance funds
designated for this purpose. The Congress appropriated \$990,000 for
HDAC activities in FY 2006. The House Appropriations Committee
recommended a \$1 million appropriation for FY 2007 in the Fiscal Year
2007 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, but that bill has not been
enacted into law.

**Outbound delegations**

The Commission plans to conduct technical assistance programs through
congressional delegations to partner countries. Provided that the
Commission is reauthorized in the 110th Congress, it will have a new
Democratic chairman and several new Members. The new Chairman, Ranking
Republican Member, and other Members will review the complete program of
activities and develop a schedule for congressional delegations to be
conducted in 2007. It is anticipated at a minimum that Members will
visit the six countries that have not yet hosted delegations: Colombia,
Georgia, Haiti, Liberia, Mongolia and Ukraine.

The Commission will also explore additional opportunities to conduct
programming on location in partner legislatures. Such programming will
draw on the expertise and participation of Members and staff of the U.S.
Congress, as well as congressional support agencies and others with
expertise in legislative strengthening. The Commission plans to tailor
such programming to the specific needs of partner legislatures.

The work of the Library of Congress has been of particular importance to
the Commission's efforts. Dr. James Billington, the Librarian of
Congress, and his staff have been exceptionally supportive of the
Commission's efforts to help develop parliamentary libraries in
Afghanistan, East Timor and Lebanon. LOC regional offices in Islamabad,
Jakarta and Cairo have played a central role in these efforts. The
Commission hopes to continue this cooperation and facilitate visits by
LOC staff to those parliamentary libraries to help train staff, improve
facilities, and develop collections. The Commission also plans to
underwrite visits by parliamentary library staff to those regional
offices for extensive training programs.

Similarly, the Congressional Research Service has been extremely
supportive of the Commission's efforts, reflecting the leading role that
CRS played in the Frost-Solomon Task Force. The Commission will work
with CRS Director Daniel Mulhollan to ensure the continued, invaluable
involvement of CRS experts in HDAC's work.

**Inbound parliamentary delegations**

Bringing MPs and staff from partner parliaments to the United States
will remain a central part of the Commission's work. Based on the
experience of inbound delegations in 2006, the Commission will refine
its programs so that they become more specialized, intensive and
tailored to the expectations and needs of participants.

The Commission intends to invite delegations from the six partner
parliaments that it has not yet hosted in the United States: Colombia,
Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, Mongolia and Ukraine. Each delegation will
participate in a program in Washington and in the home district of an
HDAC Member.

The Commission will also explore additional opportunities for
programming in Washington and in congressional districts for members and
staff of all 12 partner legislatures. Such programming will draw on the
expertise and participation of Members and staff of the U.S. Congress,
as well as congressional support agencies and others with expertise in
legislative strengthening. The Commission plans to tailor such
programming to the specific needs of partner legislatures, and
anticipates programming focused in targeted areas like committee
oversight, budget analysis, or research and analysis.

The Commission has worked with the American Council of Young Political
Leaders (ACYPL) on previous inbound delegations. ACYPL.helped the
Commission to organize and implement successful implement inbound
delegations in April 2006 and August/September 2006.

**Recommendations to the USAID Administrator**

Recognizing the constitutional role of the executive branch, the House
Democracy Assistance Commission has asked USAID to administer and
disburse funds that the Congress appropriates for the work of HDAC. HDAC
material assistance is provided to partner parliaments by USAID on the
recommendation of the Commission. The Commission appreciates the close
cooperation that it enjoys with USAID and expects that this successful
relationship will continue.

The Commission has recommended that USAID fund material assistance to
the parliaments of East Timor, Lebanon and Macedonia. In addition, the
Commission will consider recommending material assistance in other
legislatures.

In East Timor, the Commission recommended that USAID furnish and equip
the parliamentary library of East Timor; in Lebanon, materials for the
parliamentary library were purchased; and in Macedonia, a computer
server was donated to the parliament. These projects are described in
more detail in the section on activities in 2006.

In Afghanistan, the Commission has approved assistance to the library of
the Afghan National Assembly, and Chairman Dreier signed a Memorandum of
Understanding regarding this project during the Commission program in
Kabul. The Commission will recommend that USAID allocate \$60,000 for
this project in FY 2007; the total cost is estimated at approximately
\$150,000. Of the \$60,000 in FY 2007, \$40,000 is to be spent on
materials (\$25,000 for serials, \$15,000 for books); \$10,100 for
training programs in Islamabad; \$3,700 to set up and administer a
website; \$3,500 for audio-visual equipment; and the remainder as a
contingency fund. The training will include two Afghan librarians and
consist of two three-week sessions, beginning with a broad overview,
followed by specialized training.

In Mongolia, the Commission plans to donate six fax/copier/scanner
machines to facilitate better communication among committees and
facilitate a transition from paper documents to electronic documents.
The cost is estimated at \$3,600.

The Commission has not yet approved a material assistance plan for the
Haitian parliament, preferring to wait until the parliament completes
its own internal needs assessment and for other donors to make their
pledges. Similarly in Liberia, the Commission will wait for the
completion of a USAID assistance project before committing its own
resources.

The Commission is considering providing funding to improve the
information technology infrastructure of the Georgian parliament. The
Commission will engage in discussions with the leadership of the
Georgian parliament about this assistance as part of a broader review of
the HDAC program in Georgia.

**[APPENDIX A: FY 2006 Budget Summary]{.underline}**

**[FY 2006 HDAC appropriation \$990,000]{.underline}**

**The House Democracy Assistance Commission receives funding through the
Economic Support Fund appropriation in the Foreign Operations
Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006. It is administered by the
Office of Democracy and Governance at USAID.**

**[Obligated funds FY 06]{.underline}**

**Inbound programs**

Afghan delegation 76,634 (Five other delegations were funded from a

Interpretation [1,540]{.underline} one-time State Department grant from
the

**Total inbound programs 78,174** Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs)

**Material assistance**

East Timor library 175,000

Macedonia server 50,000

Lebanon library materials [976]{.underline} (Amount delivered to date)

**Total material assistance 225,976**

**TOTAL OBLIGATED FY 06 304,150**

**[Apportioned expenditures FY 07]{.underline}**

**Inbound programs**

Six MP delegations [336,000]{.underline} (Staff delegations for CY 07
may take place

**Total inbound programs 336,000** after FY 07 ends on Sept. 30, 2007)

**Material assistance**

Afghanistan library 60,000

Georgia IT hardware 60,000 (Pending HDAC approval)

Lebanon library materials 9,024 (Remainder to be delivered)

Mongolia fax/scanners [3,600]{.underline}

**Total material assistance 132,620**

**TOTAL APPORTIONED FY 07 468,620**

**[TOTAL OBLIGATED AND APPORTIONED]{.underline} [772,770]{.underline}**

***[UNOBLIGATED FY 06 FUNDS (HAITI, LIBERIA, OTHER)]{.underline}
[227,230]{.underline}***

(Note: HDAC funding for FY 2007 was still pending as of this report
date. In addition, HDAC anticipates additional expenditures following a
review of programming conducted by the Commission appointed in the
110^th^ Congress, should the Commission be reauthorized.)

**[APPENDIX B: April 2006 Washington program]{.underline}**

**[Parliamentary Exchange Program]{.smallcaps}**

**[Washington, District of Columbia]{.smallcaps}**

**[April 23^rd^ -- April 28^th^, 2006]{.smallcaps}**

## 

**[Sunday, April 23^rd^]{.underline}**

**[Travel to Washington, DC]{.underline}**

*Delegations arrive at various times throughout the day. Please see
flight schedule for details.*

12:52pm **Georgia:** Arrive at Washington Reagan National Airport

*2:40pm **Georgia:** Mr. Jemal Inaishvili arrives at Washington Dulles
Intl. Airport*

Austrian Airlines Flight OS 093 from Vienna; greeted by Mr. Irakli
Jgenti, Georgian Embassy

*4:00pm **Georgia:** Sightseeing tour of Washington, DC*

4:20pm **Macedonia:** Arrive at Washington Reagan National Airport

4:30pm **East Timor:** Arrive at Baltimore Washington Intl. Airport

9:59pm **Indonesia:** Arrive at Washington Reagan National Airport

*Delegations will be escorted by the ACYPL staff and*

*transported by bus to the Doubletree Washington Hotel.*

**[Doubletree Washington Hotel]{.underline}**

1515 Rhode Island Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20005

Tel: 202.232.7000

***\*\*\*END OF DAY\*\*\****

**[Monday, April 24^th^]{.underline}**

**[Washington, DC]{.underline}**

*Please dress in business attire and bring your passport with you for
today's events.*

*Breakfast will be available beginning at 6:30am in the Congressional
Room, Doubletree Hotel.*

8:00am ACYPL Escort Meeting

Congressional Room, Doubletree Hotel

8:45am Transport: Bus departs Doubletree for morning activities

**[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars]{.underline}**

1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20004-3027

Tel: 202.391.4000

9:30am Introductory Session: HDAC Members

10:00am Presentation: **Professor James Thurber**, American University

Topic: Introduction to Congress, "How Congress Works"

thurber@american.edu

Melissa: mcastle@american.edu

885.6247

11:00am Presentation: **Mr.** **Jim Dyer**, former clerk, House
Appropriations Comm.

Topic: The Congressional Appropriations Process

Cheryl: cfaunce@cwdc.com

261.4000

12:00pm Presentation: **Rep. Martin Frost** and **Rep. Jack Buechner,**

> Former Members of Congress Association

Topic: Rights and Responsibilities of Members

Contact: Rebecca 222.0972

rzylberman@usafmc.org

1:00pm Lunch: Hosted by the Wilson Center

Catered by Aramark, Tom Gubricky

2:00pm Transport: Bus departs Wilson Center for afternoon activities

> **[US Department of State]{.underline}**
>
> 2201 C Street NW
>
> Washington, DC 20520
>
> Tel: 202.647.4000
>
> Note: Use 23^rd^ St. Entrance; Dean Acheson Auditorium

3:00pm Presentation: **Ms. Alina Romanowski**, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)

3:30pm Presentation: **Ms.** **Frances McNaught** and **Mr.** **Rodney
Bent**,

Millenium Challenge Corporation

4:00pm Meeting: **Mr. Jeff Krilla**, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

> Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL)

4:45pm Meeting: Individual meetings with Regional Bureaus

***Georgia:** **Mr. Matt Bryza**, EUR/CARC, Rm. 4517*

> ***Macedonia:** **Mr. Chuck English**, EUR/SCE, Rm. 5426*
>
> ***East Timor: Mr. Sameer Sheth,** EAP/PD, Rm. 5318*
>
> ***Indonesia:** **Ms. Angela Dickey,** EAP/K, Rm. 5313*

5:30pm Transport: Bus departs Department of State for the Doubletree
Hotel

*5:30pm **East Timor**: Depart for a dinner hosted by Johns Hopkins
University*

***[Iron Gate Restaurant]{.underline}***

*1734 N St, NW*

*Washington, DC 20036*

*Tel: 202.737.1370*

*Contact: Bridget Welsh, <bwelsh@jhu.edu>*

*6:30pm **Indonesia**: Depart for dinner hosted by the Indonesian
Embassy*

***[Embassy of Indonesia]{.underline}***

*2020 Massachusetts Ave, NW*

*Washington, DC 20036*

Evening No scheduled events. Please use per diem provided for dinner.

***\*\*\*END OF DAY\*\*\****

**[Tuesday, April 25^th^]{.underline}**

**[Washington, DC]{.underline}**

*Please dress in business attire and bring your passport with you for
today's events.*

*Breakfast will be available beginning at 6:30am in the Congressional
Room, Doubletree Hotel.*

8:45am Transport: Bus departs Doubletree for morning activities

**[United States Capitol Building]{.underline}**

Bus Drop at Madison Bldg; Use South Entrance to Capitol

Note: Delegations will be cleared to House Floor

9:30am Welcome: Formal remarks by Representative David Dreier

9:45am Presentation: **Mr.** **Walter Oleszek**, Congressional Research
Service

> Topic: Introduction to Congress

10:45am Tour: United States Capitol Building

Note: Meet in the Speaker's Lobby

11:30am Transport: Walk to the Library of Congress

Note: Use LoC's 2^nd^ St. Entrance

11:45am Tour: Jefferson Building, Library of Congress

Contact: Marlene Kauffman, <mkau@loc.gov>, 202.651.6651

1:00pm Lunch: Please use per diem provided.

*1:00pm **Indonesia:** Lunch hosted by USINDO*

***[US-Indo Society]{.underline}***

*1625 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 550*

*Washington, DC 20036-2260*

Afternoon Meetings: Delegations meet with respective embassies

***Georgia:** TBD*

> ***East Timor:** 1:25pm at embassy (lunch included)*
>
> ***Macedonia:** 2:30pm at embassy (lunch not included)*
>
> ***Indonesia:** 4:00pm at embassy*

5:30 Transport: Buses depart embassies for evening events at US Capitol

Note: Bus drop at Madison bldg., Use South entrance

6:30pm Observation: Formal voting in the House of Representatives

Note: delegations will observe from the Gallery

7:15pm Transport: Walk to the Library of Congress

7:30pm Reception: Formal HDAC Welcoming Reception

Whittall Room

> Jefferson Building, Library of Congress
>
> Note: Use carriage entrance
>
> Contact: Mary Rhodes 707.5574

9:00pm Transport: Bus departs Library of Congress for the Doubletree
Hotel

***\*\*\*END OF DAY\*\*\****

**[Wednesday, April 26^th^]{.underline}**

**[Washington, DC]{.underline}**

*Please dress in business attire and bring your passport with you for
today's events.*

*Breakfast will be available beginning at 6:30am in the Congressional
Room, Doubletree Hotel.*

9:15am Transport: Bus departs Doubletree for morning activities

10:00am Meetings: Delegations meet with respective host Members and
staff

*10:00-10:30am **East Timor:** Observe Hearing: Committee on
Appropriations, Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Rayburn 2359 (13
seats)*

*10:30-11:30am Rep. Kolbe's Office, 237 Cannon*

> *Kevin Messner, COS and Kristy Hellmer, Press Sec.*

*10:00-11:30am **Indonesia:** Rep. Schiff's Office, 326 Cannon*

*10:00-11:30am **Macedonia:** Rep. Miller's Office, 228 Cannon*

*10:00-11:30am **Georgia:** Observe Hearing: Committee on International
Relations, Rayburn 2172*

*(13 seats -- arrive before 10:15)*

11:40am Observation: Formal House proceedings

Note: delegations will observe from the Gallery

12:00pm Transport: Walk to Library of Congress, Madison Building

Note: Use Capitol-Cannon-Madison tunnel (TBD)

12:15pm Lunch: Hosted by the Congressional Research Service (CRS)

> Presentation: CRS Overview

Library of Congress

Madison Building

Montpelier Rm, 6^th^ Floor

Contact: Robert Newlen; rnewlen@crs.loc.gov

2:00pm Meetings: Delegations meet with and observe various Committees

*2:00pm* ***Indonesia:** Observe Hearing: Committee on Small Business,
Room 2360 (7 seats)*

*2:00pm* ***Macedonia:** Observe Hearing: Committee on Transportation,
Aviation Subcommittee,*

*Rayburn 2167 (12 seats)*

*2:30pm **East Timor:** Meeting with IFES, 234 Cannon*

***Mr. Chad Vickery**, **Mr. Kyle Lemargie**, **Ms. Mary Lou Schramm**,
IFES*

*2:30-3:30 **Georgia:** Rep. Wilson's Office, 212 Cannon*

*5:00-5:30 **Georgia:** Rep. Wilson's Office, 212 Cannon*

5:00pm Transport: Bus departs US Capitol for Doubletree Hotel

Evening: No scheduled events. Please use per diem provided for dinner.

***\*\*\*END OF DAY\*\*\****

**[Thursday, April 27^th^]{.underline}**

**[Washington, DC]{.underline}**

*Please dress in business attire and bring your passport with you for
today's events.*

*Breakfast will be available beginning at 6:30am in the Congressional
Room, Doubletree Hotel.*

8:30am Transport: Buses depart Doubletree for morning activities

Note: Separate buses for Workshops

9:00am Workshops: See detail below

12:30pm Lunch: Formal HDAC Luncheon

Rayburn 2255

2:15pm Workshops: See detail below

5:30pm Transport: Bus departs for Doubletree Hotel

Evening: No scheduled events. Please use per diem provided for dinner.

**[Workshop Details]{.underline}**

Delegates will be divided among the following three workshops in the
morning and the afternoon:

1)  Making Congress Work (HDAC Staff)

> Soares (ET) Kurdadze (Geo)
>
> Viegas (ET) Goguadze (Geo)
>
> Branco (ET) Aritonang (Indo)
>
> Guterres (ET) Lalcevska (Mac)
>
> de Jesus (ET)
>
> Pereira (ET)

2)  Research, Analysis, and Dissemination of Information (CRS)

> Ximenes (ET) Siska (Indo)
>
> Bezhashvili (Geo) Boneva (Mac)
>
> Zurabishvili (Geo) Trombev (Mac)
>
> Nakashidze (Geo) Nonkulovski (Mac)
>
> Narsia (Geo) Gligorovska (Mac)
>
> Tharkhnishvili (Geo) Rushiti (Mac) Robert Newlan: rnewlan@loc.gov
>
> Inaishvili (Geo) Angie Harris: aharris@loc.gov

3)  Fiscal Oversight (CBO)

> da Costa (ET) Iskandar (Indo)
>
> Meneses (ET) Faishal (Indo)
>
> Paixao (ET) Najdovski (Mac)
>
> Kovzanadze (Geo) Ademi (Mac)
>
> Murgilia (Geo) Latifi (Mac)

Moeis (Indo)

***\*\*\*END OF DAY\*\*\****

**[Friday, April 28^th^]{.underline}**

**[Washington, DC]{.underline}**

*Please dress in business attire and bring your passport with you for
today's events.*

*Breakfast will be available beginning at 6:30am in the Congressional
Room, Doubletree Hotel.*

8:00am Check Out

8:30am Transport: Bus departs for morning activities

**[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars]{.underline}**

Note: 6^th^ Floor, Auditorium

9:15am Closing session: **Representative David Dreier** and

> **Representative David Price**

9:45am Meeting: United States Agency for International Development

Contact: Paul Bonicelli,

Dep. Asst. Admin for Dem. & Gov.

10:45am Transport: Bus departs Wilson Center for NDI and IRI

East Timor/Indonesia: International Republican Institute

Macedonia/Georgia: National Democratic Institute

11:00am Meetings: National Democratic Institute and

> International Republican Institute

Contacts: NDI: Alison Paul, Scott Hubli

IRI: Alicia O'Donnell, Greg Simpson

11:45pm Lunch: Hosted by NDI and IRI

*12:30pm **Georgia:** Bus departs for Washington Reagan International
Airport*

1:00pm Tour: Sightseeing tours of Washington, DC

Meet at Location

*1:30pm Optional: Muslim Friday prayer service at the Islamic Center*

2:00 - 3:00pm Transport: Buses depart for airports

*Delegations depart at various times throughout the day. Please see
flight schedule for details.*

*3:05pm **Georgia:** Departure from Washington Reagan National Airport*

*5:45pm **Macedonia:** Departure from Washington Dulles Intl. Airport*

*6:10pm **Indonesia:** Departure from Washington Dulles Intl. Airport*

*6:40pm **East Timor:** Departure from Baltimore Washington Intl.
Airport*

***\*\*\*END OF DAY\*\*\****

**Workshop details**

**Thursday, April 27, 2006**

**9:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m., 2:15-5:30 p.m.**

**Workshop 1 -- How Congress Works**

**Room 234 Cannon House Office Building**

**[Participants (9)]{.underline}**

[East Timor (6)]{.underline}

Ms. Maria Terezinha Viegas, MP, Vice Secretary of National Parliament

Ms. Adalgisa Ximenes, MP, Chairman, Committee on Health, Social Issues,
Labor & Solidarity

Mr. Vicente da Silva Guterres, MP, Chairman, Committee on Rights,
Liberties & Guarantees

Mr. Francisco Branco, MP, Committee on Infrastructure

Mr. Adelino Afonso de Jesus, Secretary General

Mr. Jose da Costa Belo Pereira, Director of Committee Staff

Portuguese interpretation team

[Georgia (2)]{.underline}

Ms. Irina Kurdadze, MP, Speaker's Chief of Staff

Ms. Thea Goguadze, Adviser to the Speaker

[Indonesia (1)]{.underline}

Ms. Ria Aritonang, Adviser to the Speaker

**HDAC Workshop 1 -- How Congress Works**

**234 Cannon House Office Building**

[Session 1 -- Legislative Information System (9:00-10:00)]{.underline}

Louis Drummond, Congressional Research Service

[Session 2 -- Drafting Legislation (10:00-11:00)]{.underline}

Pope Barrow, Legislative Counsel

[Session 3 -- Role of the Rules Committee (11:15-12:15)]{.underline}

Adam Jarvis, Deputy Staff Director, Committee on Rules

[Session 4 -- Role of the Clerk (2:15-3:15)]{.underline}

Karen Haas, Clerk

Gigi Kelaher, Assistant Clerk

Frances Chiappardi, Chief, Legislative Operations

Joe Strickland, Chief, Official Reporters

[Session 5 -- Floor Procedure (3:30-4:30)]{.underline}

John Sullivan, Parliamentarian

[Session 6 -- Administering the House of Representatives
(4:30-5:30)]{.underline}

Jay Eagan, Chief Administrative Officer

**Workshop 2 -- Information and Analysis for a Legislature**

**Room 316 Madison Building, Library of Congress**

**[Participants (10)]{.underline}**

[East Timor (1)]{.underline}

Mr. Francisco Carlos Soares, MP, Secretary of National Parliament

[Georgia (6)]{.underline}

Mr. Jemal Inaishvili, MP, Deputy Speaker

Mr. Levan Bezhashvili, MP, Chairman, Committee on Legal Issues

Mr. Davit Zurabishvili, MP, Committee on Education, Science, Culture and
Sport

Ms. Nino Nakashidze, MP, Deputy Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations

Ms. Tina Narsia, Director, Research Service

Mr. Shota Tharkhnishvili, Chief of Staff, Legal Committee

Georgian interpretation team

[Indonesia (1)]{.underline}

Mr. Darul Siska, MP, Vice Chairman, Study Team for Improving the
Performance of the DPR

[Macedonia (2)]{.underline}

Mr. Tome Trombev, MP, Chairman, Committee on Transportation

Ms. Lence Gligorovska, Secretary of the Committee on Education, Science
and Sports

Number range CHAPTER**The Congressional Research Service (CRS)**

**INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS FOR A LEGISLATURE**

**April 27, 2006**

Workshop presented by CRS at the request of the House Democracy
Assistance Commission

**PART ONE: ROLE OF A NON-PARTISAN CENTRAL RESEARCH SERVICE**

9:00 am Welcome

> **Robert R. Newlen,** Head**,** Legislative Relations Office**,**
> Office of Congressional Affairs and Counselor to the Director, CRS

9:05 to 10:00 Introduction to CRS

> **Daniel P. Mulhollan,** Director, Congressional Research Service
>
> **Martin Frost**, Member of Congress, 1979-2005
>
> **Former Member TBD**

10:00 to 11:00 How CRS serves the Congress and resources CRS experts use
to keep the Congress informed

> **Michael J. Garcia**, Legislative Attorney; Business & Environmental
> Law Section; American Law Division; CRS
>
> **Julie Kim**, Specialist, International Relations; Europe, Eurasia,
> and the Americas Section; Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade
> Division; CRS
>
> **Mari-Jana Oboroceanu**, Information Research Specialist; Foreign
> Affairs, Defense and Trade Section; Knowledge Services Group
>
> **Tangela G. Roe,** Section Head, Government & Finance Section;
> Knowledge Services Group
>
> **Jim Saturno**, Specialist; American National Government; Government
> and Finance Division, CRS
>
> **Jon O. Shimabukoro**, Legislative Attorney, Consumer Law Section,
> American Law Division, CRS

11:00 to 11:15 BREAK

11:15 to 11:30 Tour of Inquiry Section

> **Leona Fox Barber**, Head; Inquiry Section; Legislative Relations
> Office, Office of Congressional Affairs and Counselor to the Director,
> CRS

11:30 to 12:00 Demonstration of CRS Web site

> **Jennifer E. Manning**, Information Research Specialist; Government &
> Finance Section; Knowledge Services Group

**PART TWO: OTHER PROVIDERS OF INFORMATION**

2:00 to 3:00 pm The Law Library of Congress and The Global Legal
Information Network (GLIN)

> **Rubens Medina,** Law Librarian of Congress
>
> **Janice Hyde**, Program Officer, Law Library

3:00 to 4:00 pm Role of the Professional Committee Staff

> **Christine Calpin,** Professional Staff Member, Committee on Ways and
> Means, Human Resources Subcommittee
>
> **Sean McCluskie,** Legislative Assistant, Hon. Pete Stark

4:00 to 5:00 pm Member Media Relations: Role of the Press Secretary

> **Paul M. Cox**, Press Secretary, Hon. David E. Price
>
> **Johanna Maney,** Communications Director, House Rules Committee
>
> **Sam Stratman,** Communications Director, House International
> Relations Committee

**Workshop 3 -- Fiscal Oversight**

**Room 483 Ford House Office Building**

**[Participants (15)]{.underline}**

[East Timor (3)]{.underline}

Ms. Quiteria da Costa, MP, Committee on National Defense and Security

Mr. Rui Meneses, MP, Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs

Ms. Maria Paixao de Jesus da Costa, MP, Committee on Economic and
Financial Affairs

[Georgia (2)]{.underline}

Mr. Irakli Kovzanadze, MP, Chairman, Committee on Budget and Finance

Mr. Teimuraz Murgulia, Director, Budget Office

[Indonesia (3)]{.underline}

Mr. Muhaimin Iskandar, MP, Deputy Speaker

Mr. Ahmad Helmi Faishal, MP, Committee on Trade, Industry, Investment

Mr. Emir Moeis, MP, Chairman, Committee on Budget

Indonesian interpretation team

[Macedonia (7)]{.underline}

Mr. Slobodan Najdovski, MP, Deputy Speaker, Member of Committee on
Finance and Budget

Mr. Abdilakim Ademi, MP, Chairman, Committee on Economic Affairs

Ms. Silvana Boneva, MP, Committee on Political Systems and
Inter-Community Issues

Ms. Ristana Lalcevska, MP, Committee on Rules and Procedure

Mr. Latif Latifi, Head of the Sector for Sessions

Mr. Sandre Nonkulovski, Head of the Sector for Working Bodies

Mr. Taip Rushiti, Constituent Office Assistant

Macedonian interpretation team

![](media/image2.wmf)

## Congressional Budget Office

## Workshop On Fiscal Oversight

Thursday, April 27, 2006

9:00 a.m. Welcome to CBO - Donald Marron, Acting Director

9:15--10:00 a.m. Introduction to the Congressional Budget Office &
overview of the Congressional budget process

Melissa Merson, Associate Director for Communications

10:00 a.m. Break (Refreshments provided)

10:15 -- 11:15 Macroeconomic Indicators, Analyses and Projections

> Doug Hamilton, Deputy Director, Macroeconomic Analysis Division

11:15 a.m.- Budget Projections, Baselines, and How Much Things Cost

12:15 p.m. Jeff Holland, Unit Chief, Projections, Budget Analysis
Division

12:15 pm- 2:15 Workshop participants will attend Member luncheon in
Rayburn

2:15 to Budget Enforcement Tools & Devices for Control of the

3:00 p.m. Budget Process: What Works and What Hasn't Worked

Marvin Phaup, Deputy Assistant Director, Macroeconomic Division

3:15-4:00 p.m. Measuring the Impact of Federal Burdens on States, Local
Governments and the Private Sector

Teri Gullo, Unit Chief, State & Local Government Cost Estimate Unit

4 to 5 p.m. Congressional Panel: How the Committees of Congress Use CBO
Analyses, Reports & Services in the Budget Process

> Moderator:
>
> Sandy Davis, Special Assistant to the Director
>
> Participants:
>
> Dan Kowalski, Director of Budget Review, House Budget Committee;
>
> Kim Hildred, Staff Director, Subcommittee on Social Security,
> Committee on Ways and Means;
>
> Alice Hogans, Staff Assistant, House Committee on Appropriations.

**[APPENDIX C: September 2006 Washington program]{.underline}**

**Monday, Sept. 4 (Labor Day)**

11:00 Optional U.S. Capitol tour

2:00 Optional tour of Washington

5:30-8:00 Kenya: Dinner hosted by Amb. Peter Ogego at his residence,

**Tuesday, Sept. 5**

9:30-10:30 Presentation by Karen Haas, Clerk of the House of
Representatives (House floor)

10:45-11:45 Introduction to Congress (H-313, The Capitol)

Walter Oleszek, Senior Specialist, Congressional Research Service

12:15-2:00 Meetings and lunch with Afghan and Kenyan program officials
from the International Republican Institute and National Democratic
Institute (at IRI)

IRI: Executive Vice President Judy Van Rest

Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Tom Garrett

Afghanistan Program Officer Omar Alvi

Afghanistan Program Assistant Zia Miakhel

Africa Regional Director Stephanie Blanton

Kenya Program Officer Maureen Farrell

NDI: Shari Bryan, Director of Southern and East Africa programs

Jerry Lavery, Program Officer for Southern and East Africa programs.

Peter Manikas, Director of Asia Programs

Ira Nichols-Barrer, Program Officer for Asia programs

2:15-3:15 Presentation on budget process (IRI)

Jim Dyer, former Staff Director, House Appropriations Committee

3:30-4:30 Meetings on roles and responsibilities of legislators (IRI)

Afghan: Meet with former Reps. Jim Coyne (R-PA) and Beverly Byron (D-MD)
Kenya: Meet with former Reps. Jack Buechner (R-MO) & Andy Maguire (D-NJ)

4:45-5:45 Meeting to discuss USAID-funded parliamentary development
programs (IRI)

State University of New York-Center for International Development

Amb. Robert Gosende, Associate Vice Chancellor for International
Programs

James Ketterer, Director of the Center for International Development

James Utermark, Chief of Staff, CID

Dr. Jesse Biddle, Senior Associate, CID (in charge of Kenya Project)

**Wednesday, Sept. 6**

8:15-9:30 Afghan: Meeting with Marie Royce, Vice President, Lucent
Technologies

1100 New York Ave. NW

10:00-10:15 Greetings by Chairman David Dreier and Rep. David Price
(H-313)

10:30-11:30 Afghan: Meeting with State Dept. Bureau of South Asian
Affairs (H-313)

Kenya: Meeting with State Dept. Bureau of African Affairs (234 Cannon)

11:45-12:45 Meetings with USAID officials to discuss U.S. assistance
programs

Afghanistan (H-313):

Jerry Hyman, Director, Office of Democracy and Governance

Ami Morgan, Afghanistan Desk Officer

Barbara Smith, Elections and Political Parties Advisor

Keith Schulz, Legislative Strengthening Advisor

Kenya (234):

> Emily McPhie, Deputy Director, Office of East African Affairs, Africa
> Bureau
>
> Julia Escalona, Kenya Desk Officer, Africa Bureau
>
> Ryan McCannell, Democracy Officer, Africa Bureau
>
> Mark Billera, Democracy Officer, Office of Democracy and Governance
>
> Achieng Akumu, Democracy Officer, Office of Democracy and Governance

1:00-3:00 CRS overview and luncheon (Montpelier Room, Madison Building)

3:30-4:15 Afghan: Meet Rep. Jim Kolbe and Appropriations Committee staff
(H-144) Kenya: Meet Rep. John Boozman and Transportation Committee staff
(2167)

4:30-6:00 Afghan: Meeting with Rep. Mark Kirk and personal office staff
(1717)

Kenya: Meeting with Rep. Artur Davis and personal office staff (208)

6:30 p.m. Optional tour of Library of Congress Jefferson Building

7:30 p.m. HDAC reception, Members Room, LOC Jefferson Building

**Thursday, Sept. 7**

10:00-10:45 Afghan: Judiciary Committee, full committee markup hearing
on six bills and motion to issue subpoena to Secretary of Labor Elaine
Chao (2141)

Kenya: Resources Committee, Subcommittee on National Parks,

legislative hearing on four bills (1334)

11:00-11:45 Meet with Rep. Candice Miller and House Administration
Committee staff (1310)

12:00-12:30 Observe House floor debate from gallery (report to H-124)

12:45-1:45 HDAC Member luncheon (2255 Rayburn)

1:00 Optional midday prayers (2200 Rayburn)

2:00-2:45 Afghan: Meet Rep. Silvestre Reyes and Armed Services Committee
staff (2216)

Kenya: International Relations Committee, Subcommittee on International
Terrorism and Nonproliferation, hearing on Islamic terrorism (2172)

3:00-3:45 Afghan: International Relations Committee, Subcommittee on
International Terrorism and Nonproliferation, hearing on Islamic
terrorism (2172)

Kenya: Meeting with Rep. David Dreier and Rules Committee staff (H-313)

4:00-4:45 Meeting with Rep. John Spratt, Rep. Lois Capps, Rep. Artur
Davis

and Budget Committee staff (122)

6:30 Afghan: Asia Foundation dinner, Brookings Institution, 1717
Massachusetts Ave.

**Friday, Sept. 8**

9:00-9:30 Closing session: Remarks by Mr. Dreier, Mr. Price, delegation
heads (H-313)

9:30-12:45 Morning workshops (see attached workshop programs)

12:45-2:15 Lunch

1:30-2:30 Optional Friday prayer service at Mustafa Center, Annandale.

2:15-4:30 Afternoon workshops

7:00 Afghan: Dinner hosted by Amb. Said Tayeb Jawad, 2341 Wyoming Ave.
NW

**Saturday, Sept. 9**

10:30 White House tour

2:00 Depart for Dulles Airport

5:40 Depart on Northwest Airlines flight to Amsterdam

**HDAC Workshop 1 -- How Congress Works (234 Cannon)**

**Friday, September 8, 2006**

[Session 1 -- Administering the House of Representatives
(9:45-10:45)]{.underline}

Jay Eagen, Chief Administrative Officer

Will Plaster, Staff Director, Committee on House Administration

[Session 2 -- Legislative Information System (11:00-11:45)]{.underline}

Louis Drummond, Congressional Research Service

[Session 3 -- House Ethics (11:45-12:45)]{.underline}

Ken Kellner, Counsel, Committee on Standards of Official Conduct

[Session 4 -- Drafting Legislation (2:15-3:15)]{.underline}

Pope Barrow, Legislative Counsel

[Session 5 -- Floor Procedure (3:30-4:30)]{.underline}

John Sullivan, Parliamentarian

Adam Jarvis, Deputy Staff Director, Committee on Rules

**HDAC Workshop 2 -- Information And Analysis For A Legislature (316
Madison Building)**

**Friday, September 8, 2006**

[Session 1 -- Welcome and Introduction and Value of CRS to Members
(9:45-10:30)]{.underline}

Robert R. Newlen, Head, Legislative Relations Office, Congressional
Research Service

Daniel P. Mulhollan, Director, Congressional Research Service

Jennifer Dunn, Former Member of Congress (R-Wash.)

[Session 2 -- How CRS serves the Congress; Resources CRS Experts Use
(10:30-11:45)]{.underline}

Michael J. Garcia, Legislative Attorney, Congressional Research Service

Julie Kim, Specialist in International Relations, Congressional Research
Service

Tangela G. Roe, Supervisor, Information Research Specialists,
Congressional Research Service

James V. Saturno, Specialist on the Congress, Congressional Research
Service

Jon O. Shimaburkuro**,** Legislative Attorney, Congressional Research
Service

[Session 3 -- Demonstration of CRS Website (12:00-12:30)]{.underline}

Jennifer E. Manning, Information Research Specialist, Congressional
Research Service

[Session 4 -- Law Library of Congress and Global Legal Information
Network (12:30-1:00)]{.underline}

Donna Scheeder, Director, Law Library Services

[Catered lunch arranged by CRS (1:00-2:00)]{.underline}

[Session 5 -- Member Media Relations: Role of the Press Secretary
(2:15-3:15)]{.underline}

Emily Kryder, Press Secretary, Rep. Lois Capps

Johanna Maney, Communications Director, House Rules Committee

Sam Stratman, Communications Director, Millennium Challenge Corporation

[Session 6 -- Role of Professional Committee Staff
(3:30-4:30)]{.underline}

Christine Calpin, Professional Staff Member, House Ways and Means
Committee

Vince Morelli, Specialist in International Relations, Congressional
Research Service

Winsome Packer, Professional Staff Member, House Homeland Security
Committee

**HDAC Workshop 3 -- Budget process and oversight (H-313 The Capitol)**

**Friday, September 8, 2006**

[Session 1 -- President's budget request: Role of OMB
(9:30-10:30)]{.underline}

Austin Smythe, Executive Associate Director, Office of Management and
Budget

[Session 2 -- Congressional budget analysis: Role of CBO
(10:45-11:45)]{.underline}

Melissa Merson, Communications Director, Congressional Budget Office

[Session 3 -- Dividing the Pie: Congressional budget resolution
(11:45-12:45)]{.underline}

Jim Bates, Staff Director, House Budget Committee

[Session 4 -- Power of the Purse: Appropriating funds
(2:15-3:15)]{.underline}

John Scofield, Communications Director, House Appropriations Committee

Committee on Appropriations staff

[Session 5 -- Legislative Branch Appropriations: Setting Congress'
Budget (3:30-4:30)]{.underline}

John Scofield, Communications Director, House Appropriations Committee

Committee on Appropriations staff

**[Participant list]{.underline}**

[Session 1 -- How Congress works (8)]{.underline}

Saleh Saljughy, MP, Second Secretary, Wolesi Jirga (Dari)

Abdul Ghafar Jamshedi, Head of Public Sessions, Wolesi Jirga

Sayed Zaman Hashemi, Director of International Relations, Wolesi Jirga

Francis ole Kaparo, MP, Speaker, National Assembly of Kenya

Peter Oloo Aringo, MP, Vice Chair, Parliamentary Service Comm., Natl.
Assembly of Kenya

Samuel Ndindiri, Clerk, National Assembly of Kenya

Kipkemboi arap Kirui, Assistant Clerk, National Assembly of Kenya
(afternoon only)

Nancy Gitau, USAID/Kenya, Office of Democracy and Governance

[Session 2 -- Research and information (10)]{.underline}

Noorulhaq Olumi, MP, Chairman, Defense Committee, Wolesi Jirga

Fazel Azim Zalmy Mujadidi, MP, Chairman, Internal Security Committee,
Wolesi Jirga (Dari)

Mohammand Saker Kargar, MP, Vice Chairman, Int'l Affairs Committee,
Wolesi Jirga (Dari)

Mawlawi Din Mohammad Azami, MP, Secretary, Education Committee, Wolesi
Jirga (Dari)

Ahmad Ali Jebraili, MP, Government Affairs Committee, Wolesi Jirga
(Dari)

Zahra Sahak, Legislation Committee staff, Wolesi Jirga

Njoki Ndungu, MP, National Assembly of Kenya

Katoo ole Metito, MP, National Assembly of Kenya

Kilonzo Kiema, MP, National Assembly of Kenya

Kipkemboi arap Kirui, Assistant Clerk, National Assembly of Kenya
(morning/lunch only)

[Session 3 -- Budget process and oversight (6)]{.underline}

Al. Haj Bidar Zazai, MP, Chairman, Budget Committee, Wolesi Jirga
(Pashto speaker)

Abdul Kabir Ranjbar, MP, Chairman, Government Affairs Committee, Wolesi
Jirga (Pashto)

Joseph Lagat, MP, Chairman, Budget Committee, National Assembly of Kenya

Oburu Odinga, MP, Chairman, Finance Committee, National Assembly of
Kenya

Justin Muturi, MP, Chairman, Public Investment Committee, National
Assembly of Kenya

Peter Munya, MP, Chairman, Young Parliamentarians Association, National
Assembly of Kenya

**HDAC September 2006 inbound program**

**[Individual meetings]{.underline}**

**Wednesday, Sept. 6**

8:30-9:30 Afghan: Mr. Olumi meeting at National Defense University

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) David Barno, Director

Prof. Ali Jalali, former Afghan Minister of Interior

9:00-10:00 Afghan: Mr. Mujadidi meeting at Drug Enforcement Agency, 700
Army-Navy

Thomas Harrigan, Chief, Enforcement Division

James Soiles, Section Chief, Enforcement Operations for Europe/Middle
East

State Department representative

10:30-1:00 Afghan: Ms. Sahak meetings with Judiciary Committee staff
(2138 Rayburn)

Phil Kiko, General Counsel/Chief of Staff

**Thursday, Sept. 7**

8:30-9:30 Afghan: Mr. Mujadidi meeting at FBI, 935 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Mike Heimbach, Section Chief, Counterterrorism Division

Art Cummings, Washington Field Office, Counterterrorism Division

9:00-9:55 Afghan: Mr. Olumi meeting in Army Liaison Office (Rayburn HOB)

9:00-10:45 Kenya: Messrs. Aringo, Lagat, Muturi, and Ndindiri meeting at
CBO (483 Ford)

Contact: Melissa Merson, Associate Director for External Affairs, 6-2602

Meeting with Jeff Holland and Budget Analysis Division

9:15-10:45 Kenya: Mr. Kirui meeting with Legislative Counsel (136
Cannon)

9:30-10:30 Afghan: Mr. Mujadidi, meeting with Deputy Assistant Attorney
General

Mary Lee Warren, Criminal Division, Justice Department (FBI HQ)

10:00-10:45 Afghan: Mr. Olumi and Mr. Hashemi, Armed Services Committee
hearing on military tribunals (2118)

11:00-12:30 Kenya: Mr. Kirui meeting with Dan Freeman & David
Abramowitz, HIRC (2170)

**Friday, Sept. 8**

11:00-11:45 Afghan: Mr. Jamshedi meeting with Jay Pierson, Speaker's
Office (Capitol)

5:30-6:00 Afghan: Mr. Olumi and Mr. Mujadidi meet with Eric Edelman,

Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (The Pentagon)

**[APPENDIX D: February 2006 CODEL to Indonesia and East
Timor]{.underline}**

**Summary**

The House Democracy Assistance Commission conducted its first Member
assistance mission in Indonesia and East Timor from February 16 to 25,
2006. Led by Rep. Jim Kolbe, the delegation included Reps. Lois Capps,
Adam Schiff and Allyson Schwartz. The delegation met with counterparts
from the Indonesian House of Representatives on February 20 and 21 and
from the National Parliament of East Timor on February 23 and 24. On
February 22, the delegation met with provincial government and security
officials on the Indonesian island of Bali to discuss counterterrorism
cooperation. Overnight transit stops included Honolulu and Guam.

In Indonesia, the delegation's most significant parliamentary meetings
came with Speaker Agung Laksono and with members of parliament from the
Legislative Committee, the House Administration Committee, and the Team
to Improve the Working of Parliament. Delegation Members stressed the
importance of parliament having control of its own budget and its own
staff. Their Indonesian counterparts noted that the executive branch
sets the budget of parliament at an unreasonably low level and that most
parliamentary staff is employed by the executive-branch Secretariat. The
delegation also met with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, government
ministers and economic officials, and the inter-parliamentary relations
committee and U.S. friendship group to discuss bilateral relations.

In East Timor, Chairman Kolbe signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the Speaker and the U.S. Ambassador in which the Commission pledged to
furnish and equip the parliamentary library. USAID has contracted with
the Asia Foundation to implement the project, with the expert assistance
of the Library of Congress Jakarta office. Chairman Kolbe was invited to
address a plenary session of the National Parliament of East Timor on
the role of the legislature as an independent branch of government. He
and the other delegation Members also discussed the role of individual
Members in a legislature and how to use staff, as well as discussing
legislative oversight of the security services with the relevant
committee.

**Indonesia**

The delegation found a receptive audience for its message of
strengthening legislative independence among its counterparts in the
Indonesian House of Representatives, or DPR. The structure of the DPR
was set up during the several decades of dictatorship that preceded the
democratic transition in 1998, and the institution has not transformed
itself to reflect the development of Indonesian democracy. Most notably,
the parliament's budget is set by the executive branch and administered
by an executive branch agency, the Secretariat, whose 1,400 employees
far outnumber the 122 "expert staff" directly employed by parliament.

During its time in Jakarta, the delegation was jointed by former Rep.
Doug Bereuter, now President of the Asia Foundation. The delegation
began its meetings in the DPR in the office of Speaker Agung Laksono,
who said the main problem his parliament faces is its budget. The budget
is set by the Ministry of Finance and administered by the DPR
Secretariat, itself an organ of the executive branch. He noted that he
himself has only one personally selected adviser, with the other 10
staffers in his office assigned by the Secretariat. He cited the need
for a more effective library, research and professional staff as major
concerns, as well as the need for funding for MPs to communicate with
their constituents and open district offices.

The delegation understood of the Speaker's concerns, and the need for
parliament to control its own budget and staff was the main theme of the
delegation's time in Jakarta. At a public ceremony to formalize the
relationship between the Commission and the DPR, Chairman Kolbe told his
Indonesian counterparts, "The challenge that you now face is to
transform institutions created under a different political system into
the institutions needed for democracy to thrive." For his part, Speaker
Laksono emphasized that the program constitutes a two-way partnership
between the U.S. and Indonesian Houses of Representatives, not an
attempt by the U.S. Congress to dictate to its Indonesian homologue.

The themes of insufficient staffing and lack of budgetary control marked
the delegation's meetings with the Budget Committee and Legislative
Committee (BALEG). The Budget Committee noted that it does not have
enough professional staff, so "we mostly accept what we receive from the
government." The Legislative Committee, which is also revising
parliament's rules of procedure, told the delegation that it is in the
process of drafting revisions to the state budget law to enable
parliament to have an independent budget. Chairman Kolbe welcomed this
initiative, saying, "This is the single most important thing you can do.
It is impossible to act as an equal branch of government if you depend
on the executive for your money. And you need to pay professional staff
salaries sufficient so they can afford to say in parliament."

Recognizing the need for parliament to control its own staff and budget,
the DPR is creating a "Study Team for Improving the Performance of the
DPR," with a three-month mandate to recommend reforms. Because the team
had not yet been inaugurated, a meeting between two members and the
delegation had to take place outside the parliament. The sensitive
discussion proved lively. "We have to push our way to reform," one
member told the delegation.

A meeting with the House Administration Committee (BURT) was one of the
most substantive of the visit. Indonesian MPs peppered their American
counterparts with a host of questions ranging from member and staff
compensation to the role of the media to whether the congressional
seniority system is truly democratic. Most questions, though, focused on
the independence from the executive branch that the U.S. Congress
enjoys. This nuts-and-bolts discussion on the political and
administrative workings of both legislatures was continued in a series
of meetings with various Indonesian parties. Each Member of Congress met
individually with a small group of Indonesian MPs, and the discussion
addressed both internal topics -- like how congressional salaries are
set and individual office budgets managed -- and broader political
issues -- like the role of third parties and party discipline.

The delegation also discussed issues in the bilateral U.S.-Indonesia
relations with members of parliament during meetings with party leaders,
the U.S. Caucus, and the Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation.
The delegation also had dinner with Indonesian economic officials,
including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Concurrent with the program for members of parliament, Dan Getz, a
professional staff member with the House International Relations
Committee, conducted a program for DPR staff. In four sessions, Mr. Getz
addressed basic staff functions, research and reports, preparation for
hearings, oversight role, and information management. Participants
included some committee staff and party staff researchers with a mix of
secretariat administrative staff and minimal participation from the
research service. The party expert staff appeared eager to learn how
legislative staff can better provide analysis to prepare members for
committee work and practical training. The session addressing strategies
for preparation for hearings and oversight drew good interaction with
participants and good questions about the legislative process in the
United States and separation of powers issues. Staff engaged in
discussion of the various reasons for convening investigative hearings
and the need for informing legislation and oversight of executive
branch.

The delegation concluded its stay in Jakarta with a visit to the office
of President Yudhoyono, also attended by Defense Minister Juwarno
Sudarsono and Air Marshall Djoko Soeyanto, the new chief of the
Indonesian military. President Yudhoyono said his three great tests will
be the future of reforms, democratization and economic recovery. He
spoke of counter-terrorism cooperation, promoting democracy in Southeast
Asia, military reform, and reconciliation with East Timor. He also asked
for an increased number of Indonesian military officers to study in the
United States. Chairman Kolbe said President Yudhoyono was a great
example of the value of the International Military Education and
Training (IMET) program, of which the president is a graduate.

In Jakarta, the delegation met with several senior counterterrorism
officials, including the heads of the counter-terrorism office and a
special police detachment, as well as two Supreme Court justices. The
delegation went on to the island of Bali for meetings on the subject of
counterterrorism with Governor Dewa Made Beratha; Putu Wesnawa, the
Speaker of the provincial legislature; Police Chief Soenarko Danu
Ardanto and other police officials; consuls based in Bali, and tourism
officials. The governor asked whether the State Department travel
warning for Indonesia -- which "continues to warn U.S. citizens to defer
non-essential travel to Indonesia" -- could be lifted. Chairman Kolbe
promised to consult with the State Department when it planned to review
the warning. The police chief noted that his force needs additional
screening devices for ports and the airport, as well as additional
training. Chairman Kolbe pledged to request an expansion in U.S.
counter-terrorism training programs for Bali and to ask whether it might
be possible to provide additional narcotics detection equipment.

**East Timor**

The Commission program in East Timor was enthusiastically received by
members of parliament, a majority of whom participated during the
two-day program. The highlight was the signing of a memorandum of
understanding by Chairman Kolbe, U.S. Ambassador Grover Joseph Rees, and
Speaker Francisco "Lu'olo" Guterres, in which the Commission pledged to
furnish and equip the parliamentary library, with the assistance of the
Library of Congress office in Jakarta, which the delegation had visited.
In addition, the Commission will provide books and other library
materials from a bibliography being compiled by the Library of Congress.

During his speech before a plenary session of parliament, Chairman Kolbe
encouraged Timorese MPs to assert themselves as an equal branch of
government and to ensure that the interests of their constituents are
represented in the legislation they pass. "You must ensure that you have
the information and resources that you need to legislate wisely," he
told MPs. "You have the authority to make your parliament a strong part
of this democracy; I urge you to use this power to ensure that the
people of East Timor are well-represented."

In discussion, both with the entire delegation and during individual
break-out session, Timorese MPs asked about how representatives balance
their obligation to their constituents with their loyalty to their
party. Because 75 of the 88 Timorese MPs were elected by party list,
they necessarily must be more responsive to their parties, to whom they
owe their seats. A major issue facing the parliament is passing an
election law to govern the 2007 parliamentary elections, given that the
previous elections were conducted under United Nations supervision.
Chairman Kolbe suggested that the election law of El Salvador could
serve as a model, and he promised to send materials on other election
laws to his Timorese counterparts.

An important discussion took place during the session on the role of
majority and minority parties. Mr. Schiff, who served in the majority in
the California State Legislature and is in the minority in the House,
emphasized that the majority wants minority support in order to share
responsibility for controversial decisions, which can allow the minority
to achieve some of its goals in shaping legislation. He said the
minority party should do what is best for the country -- supporting good
legislation and working to defeat legislation with which it disagrees.
Mrs. Capps spoke of the need to cooperate so two parties could produce
better legislation than one party alone. Mrs. Schwartz noted that once
elected, legislators represent all voters, not just those who supported
them.

Mr. Schiff opened a discussion on the role of staff with a description
of how his staff supports him. He emphasized that his staff reports only
to him, and not to any larger body like a Secretariat. He noted that
this ensures loyalty and that his staff provides him with unbiased
information. The Timorese MPs noted that (1) they don't have the
resources for expert staff; (2) they only have administrative staff; and
(3) committee staffers are required to support multiple committees.
Chairman Kolbe responded by saying that East Timor will never be similar
to the United States in terms of raw numbers of staff, but he emphasized
the need for an independent, professional staff.

The last seminar that the delegation conducted was focused on security
sector oversight with Committee B, which is responsible for foreign
affairs, the military, police, and intelligence services. Chairman Kolbe
noted that in the U.S. the military has always been under civilian
control. In response to several questions, Mr. Schiff explained that
most police in the U.S. were operated by state and local governments,
and that there was no national police force in the U.S. Mr. Schiff added
that the concept of civilian military control includes civilian control
over the military budget. Committee MPs indicated their desire to
cooperate with the U.S. on security and noted the need for East Timor to
develop a navy capable of patrolling its maritime borders and
interdicting trespassers, when necessary.

At the same time, Mr. Getz and HDAC Staff Director John Lis, along with
Ambassador Rees, a former staffer for the Committee on International
Relations, conducted a program for Timorese parliamentary staff. The
Timorese spoke of the need to increase the expertise of their staff,
many of whom have only junior high school or high school educations, and
of the difficulty in hiring qualified staff when salaries are restricted
by the civil service pay scale. Sharing a complaint of legislative staff
everywhere, they asked why they earn the same salary as civil servants
while working longer hours. They also emphasized the importance of
developing the parliamentary library as a resource for staff.

In addition to the meetings in parliament, the delegation met with
President Xanana Gusmao, the charismatic leader of the Timorese
independence movement against both Portuguese colonial rule and
Indonesian occupation. President Gusmao noted the need to build civil
society in a country where the occupation ended only in 1999 and
independence came just four years ago. He said the biggest challenge to
Timorese democracy is supporting the opposition in the 2007 elections.
The ruling Fretilin party controls both the government and a majority of
parliament, and there is concern that the election law could be used to
solidify its grip on power. In response to Mr. Schiff's question about
the penal code that recently passed parliament, which criminalizes
defamation, Mr. Gusmao said he would ask the prime minister to withdraw
the law for revision, rather than force the president to veto it.

On the subject of economics, Mr. Gusmao noted that East Timor has
already realized \$400 million from oil and gas development in the Timor
Sea, and he expected that figure to reach \$1 billion by the end of
2006. He also expressed his desire to expand the coffee and tourism
industries. Chairman Kolbe suggested that marketing Timorese coffee to a
niche market was advisable, and he encouraged development of a
destination resort on East Timor that would complement the mass tourism
of Bali, with which East Timor cannot compete.

The delegation also visited a Peace Corps site in the town of Liquica,
about 45 minutes west of Dili, where they learned about a program to
promote maternal and infant health and visited a school library being
funded by USAID and assisted by the Asia Foundation.

**[APPENDIX E: July 2006 CODEL to Lebanon and Kenya]{.underline}**

**Summary**

The House Democracy Assistance Commission conducted its second Member
assistance mission in Lebanon and Kenya from June 30 to July 9, 2006.
Led by Chairman David Dreier, the delegation included Reps. David Price,
John Boozman, Rush Holt, Michael Capuano, Donald Payne and Adam Schiff.
The delegation met with counterparts from the Lebanese National Assembly
on July 3 and 4 and from the parliament of Kenya from July 5 to 7. Other
meetings included a July 1 lunch in Lisbon with Portuguese MPs; a July 2
dinner in Cyprus with the U.S. ambassador; July 8 meetings in Monrovia
with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Liberian parliamentary leaders;
and a July 8 reception with officials of Embassy Dakar in Senegal.

In Lebanon, the delegation met privately with Speaker Nabih Berri and
held three open sessions with MPs, plus an Independence Day luncheon
with Lebanese MPs. Among the topics discussed were the role of the
legislature as an independent branch of government; how to conduct
oversight of the executive branch; the legislative rule in the budget
and appropriations process; the rule of law; and the importance of
parliamentary staff and independent sources of information and policy
analysis. The delegation also met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to
discuss bilateral relations and Lebanon's democratization process.

In Kenya, the delegation had an excellent series of meetings with senior
parliamentary leaders, including Speaker Francis ole Kaparo. Among the
most important were a two-hour breakfast meeting to discuss budgetary
and appropriations oversight, just one day after the Kenyan parliament
had voted to create its own budget committee. The delegation met also
with Deputy Speaker David Musila, who is chairing an internal commission
to revise the archaic rules of procedure, and with the leaders of
government business and the opposition, among others. The delegation
also traveled to the constituency of Kajiado South, in southern Kenya,
and spent the day with the local MP, visiting infrastructure projects
funded by the Constituency Development Fund money available to each
Member of Parliament.

**Lebanon**

The Commission's meetings in the Lebanese National Assembly drew an
interested and engaged group of MPs, as many as 20 for two of the
sessions. A key point made by many MPs concerned the need to move beyond
the sectarian system that has governed Lebanese politics for more than
60 years and create a united Lebanese democracy. Emphasis was also
placed on the need for Lebanon to adopt a new electoral law as the
current one was imposed by a Syrian-dominated government and designed to
favor their allies in Lebanon.

Prior to the delegation's visit, the Commission had targeted the library
as an important resource for Lebanese National Assembly, and the Library
of Congress compiled a bibliography of recommended materials for that
facility. Recognizing the importance of a parliamentary library as an
independent source of information for MPs, the delegation brought a set
of books that represented the first installment of a \$10,000 gift of
materials to the library. Two experts from the Library of Congress
office in Cairo held concurrent meetings in the parliament with library
staff and others to help design a program of assistance to the library.

Upon arrival in Beirut, the delegation visited the U.S. Embassy where it
received a Country Team and Security briefing led by Ambassador Jeffrey
Feltman and Deputy Chief of Mission Christopher Murray. The delegation
also paid their respects at the memorial to the victims of the U.S.
Marine barracks bombing in the early 1980s, as well as the memorial to
assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The delegation paid a courtesy call on Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the
Lebanese National Assembly. He expressed his support for collaboration
between the U.S. House of Representatives and the National Assembly
under the auspices of the House Democracy Assistance Commission. He
specifically raised the issue of the need to build a research capability
within the parliament, and was also keenly interested in the impending
visit of 10 Lebanese MPs and staff to Arkansas. (The crisis in Lebanon
that began the week after the delegation's visit forced a postponement
of this visit until April 2007.) Regarding the future of Lebanese
democratization and the disarmament of Hezbollah, Berri explained his
initiative to launch a "National Dialogue" consisting of Lebanese from
all sects in order to resolve these issues of critical importance to the
future of Lebanon.

Following its meeting with Speaker Berri, the delegation held its first
parliamentary assistance session with Lebanese MPs, focused on the role
of the legislature as an independent branch of government and the
necessity of conducting oversight of the executive. The session was well
attended by over two dozen MPs, and Members seemed invigorated at the
fact that this National Assembly represented the first independent
parliament in more than two decades. Additionally, some MPs expressed
their frustration with the executive branch, indicating that they were
almost entirely dependent on the government for information, which puts
them at a severe disadvantage in terms of oversight and independent
analysis. Lebanese MPs also spoke of the need to revise the rules of
procedure; to hire professional staff for committees; and to increase
transparency by opening committee hearings to the public. Many MPs
expressed their strong support of Lebanon's participation in the HDAC
program, though a few used their time to criticize U.S. Middle East
policy.

The delegation participated in a luncheon with Lebanese civil society
leaders, many of whom are focused on either the National Dialogue (aimed
at resolving the sectarian divide and moving towards compliance with the
UN Security Council's mandate for the disarmament of Hezbollah) or the
electoral law reform process. While the civil society leaders felt that
both problems could be resolved, they found it unlikely that the
implementation of the needed reforms would be put forward by the current
government because of the threat to the confessional system.

An afternoon parliamentary assistance session was held with members of
the Lebanese Budget Committee on budget and finance oversight. CODEL
Members explained the U.S. budget process as established by the
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, focusing on
separate responsibilities of authorizing and appropriating committees.
For their part, the Lebanese expressed their frustration at their lack
of independent information to analyze the budget, the executive's
recalcitrance to provide greater budgetary transparency, and the limited
time within which they have to consider the government budget.

Following the session, the delegation met with Lebanese Prime Minister
Fouad Siniora at the Grand Serail, the Ottoman-era seat of government.
The Prime Minister explained that the Arab world had a long history of
democratic governance and that authoritarian systems were actually the
result of British and French mandates during the colonial era. The
continuation of those systems, Siniora said, was the result of the
Palestinian conflict which had fomented coups and anti-democratic
sentiment throughout the region. He added that there can be no real
solutions to any problem in the Middle East without the resolution of
the Palestinian situation.

The Prime Minister added that Lebanon had proven that it could be a
model for all the Arab world, that it can achieve change through
peaceful means. Lebanon's democracy, he said, was not important just for
Lebanon, but actually the entire Arab world. Siniora admitted that many
problems and challenges remained for the Lebanese people, but Lebanon
was moving in the right direction for the first time in many years.
Finally, Siniora expressed his tragically prescient fear that certain
deals (with Iran, Syria, etc.) may be concluded at the expense of the
Lebanese. He worried that Lebanon would become a battleground for
conflicts between other regional powers. He asked for public U.S.
assurances that this would not be the case. Nine days after the July 3
meeting, Israel launched a major offensive targeted at Hezbollah forces
in southern Lebanon, but which also damaged much of Lebanon's critical
commercial and civilian infrastructure.

On its second day in Lebanon, the delegation held its third and final
parliamentary assistance session, chaired by Robert Ghannam, the
chairman of the Committee on Justice. The final session focused on the
importance of independent staff and research analysis. Commission
Members explained that the U.S. system consisted of personal staff for
Members, professional committee staff, and independent support agencies
such as the Congressional Research Service and Congressional Budget
Office. The Lebanese MPs expressed their desire for such staff, but
concluded that under current budget circumstances it was not feasible.
They lamented the fact that the National Assembly lacks a truly
independent research service and that each committee has but a single
staffer, who may or may not be versed in the subject matter of the
committee.

The delegation then was hosted by Ambassador Feltman at his residence at
Embassy Beirut for an Independence Day celebration with several dozen
Members of the Lebanese parliament. Ambassador Feltman and Congressman
John Boozman made brief remarks in support of Lebanon's efforts to
further democratize, and Lebanese guests spoke in great detail of the
need for closer ties between the U.S. Congress and the National
Assembly.

**Kenya**

The visit to Kenya by the HDAC delegation came an opportune time and
established strong personal relationships with the leading reformers in
the National Assembly of Kenya. In particular, the creation of a budget
committee in the Kenyan parliament during the delegation's first day of
meetings and the establishment of an internal commission to revise the
archaic rules of procedure a few weeks earlier fostered a productive
environment for the visit. The delegation met with many of the strongest
advocates for reform in the parliament and offered guidance on the
importance of parliamentary independence and oversight.

The delegation laid the foundation for future cooperation and assistance
to the Kenyan parliament. The Commission invited Speaker Francis ole
Kaparo to lead a delegation of eight MPs and two staffers to the United
States in late August and early September to learn more about the
workings of the House of Representatives and how its experience might be
relevant for Kenyan reforms. The Commission will maintain close contact
with USAID/Kenya, the parliamentary strengthening program of the State
University of New York, and the parliament itself to explore further
staff assistance in Nairobi. This could include a staff delegation to
offer expert advice on the operations of a budget committee,
parliamentary budget office, research service, library, rules of
procedure, and legislative drafting.

The Commission's first meeting in Kenya was with Speaker Francis ole
Kaparo, of the Kenyan National Assembly. The meeting was positive and
the Speaker warmly encouraged the visit of the delegation and current
and future cooperation through the HDAC program. He noted that there was
a growing consensus of the need to reform the Kenyan parliament and
transform it from the rubber-stamp parliament it had been under the
autocratic regime of President Daniel arap Moi, to an independent branch
of government. He and the delegation discussed efforts to improve the
research service and library, as well as the importance of ethics rules
for Members. The Speaker also noted that CODEL Dreier was the largest
U.S. Congressional delegation to visit the National Assembly in history.

Following the meeting with Speaker Kaparo, the delegation held a similar
meeting with the Vice President and Leader of Government Business in the
parliament, Moody Awori, himself a Member of Parliament (as are all
Kenyan elected officials). Vice President Awori, who is responsible for
setting the parliamentary calendar, also expressed his support for the
Commission's mission in Kenya.

The Commission held a subsequent meeting with a representative of the
main opposition party in parliament (KANU), Justin Muturi. Uhuru
Kenyatta, the leader of KANU was unavailable to meet with the delegation
due to a by-election that was taking place. Mr. Muturi echoed the
Speaker and Vice President's support for the Commission's work in Kenya,
and underscored the need for the National Assembly to become a more
independent body with greater oversight responsibilities. He criticized
the government's lack of transparency and its practice of withholding
information from the legislature.

Following these meetings, the delegation traveled to U.S. Embassy
Nairobi, where it received a series of briefings on Kenyan politics and
counter-terrorism programs in the Horn of Africa. Subsequently, the
delegation attended a luncheon on the National Assembly grounds hosted
by Deputy Speaker David Musila, who is leading the commission that is
reviewing the parliament's standing orders, or internal rules of
procedure.

The delegation had the honor of observing the opening of a session of
the National Assembly, at which the delegation's presence was publicly
noted by Speaker Kaparo. While sitting in the Speaker's gallery, the
Commission witnessed question time between MPs and governmental
ministers.

The Commission then held a parliamentary assistance session with
National Assembly committee chairs focused on the importance of public
hearings and oversight of the executive branch. The Kenyan MPs agreed
that public hearings would be a positive step forward and said they were
working to make them a reality, given the physical constraints of the
parliament's committee rooms. They added that the dearth of information
provided by the government made oversight difficult, if not impossible,
and the lack of trained professional staff compounded the problem. The
HDAC delegation was interested to learn that the two primary audit and
oversight committees of the Kenyan National Assembly are chaired by
members of the minority party (but the majority party maintains the
overall advantage on each committee). That evening, the delegation
attended a dinner held in its honor by the Speaker, which was widely
attended by a number of MPs.

Also that afternoon, House staff from the Commission and the Committee
on Rules met with their Kenyan counterparts to discuss the shape of
staff-to-staff programs. Among the areas that will be addressed in both
Washington and Nairobi will be the legislative role in the budget
process; policy analysis; work of constituency offices; the role of
committees in legislation and oversight; and legislative drafting. In
addition, Rules Committee staff pledged to work with Kenyan
parliamentary clerks as they assist MPs in revising the parliament's
standing orders.

On its second day in Kenya, the Commission held a breakfast working
session with Members of the Public Accounts and Public Investment
Committees on the budget process. The National Assembly passed
legislation authorizing the creation of a Budget Committee and
independent Fiscal Analysis Office during the delegation's visit, so the
timing was fortuitous. HDAC Members, at length, described the
congressional budget process, including the separation of authorization
and appropriation functions. Particular attention was paid to the "power
of the purse" of the Congress, and that Congress could completely ignore
the President's budget proposal should it so choose. The structure and
important role of the Congressional Budget Office was also highlighted.
Among the significant number of Kenyan MPs who attended, was Peter
Aringo, the key MP behind the passage of the budget legislation.

Following the budget working session, the delegation held a much more
contentious meeting with the Foreign Relations and Legal Affairs
Committees of the National Assembly, at which Kenyan MPs expressed
dissatisfaction with some aspects of U.S. policy toward Kenya,
particularly in the counter-terrorism field. Chairman Dreier responded
by noting that after September 11, 2001, a strong alliance was formed to
fight terrorism, which included Kenya. He noted that the attack on the
U.S. Embassy was an attack on democracy, not just the U.S., and that
compensation should be paid by the perpetrators of the crime (al-Qaeda)
and not the victim (the United States). He also added that crime and
terrorism are linked, but said he hoped the Kenyans recognized that they
and the U.S. had much more in agreement than disagreement.

HDAC and Rules Committee staff held a concurrent meeting with staff of
the National Assembly. The U.S. and Kenyan staff discussed how
parliamentary staff should be structured to best support the Members of
Parliament, while recognizing the limited size of the Kenyan
parliamentary staff, particularly the understaffed, four-person research
department. Kenyan staff requested further advice on legislative
drafting and issues such as a freedom of information act and defense
oversight.

Following the foreign relations meeting, the delegation took a tour of
the National Assembly, where they saw firsthand its severely inadequate
library, its fledgling research center, the Members' rather substantial
gym and car park, the ceremonial plenary chamber, and the office of an
individual MP. After the conclusion of the parliamentary tour, a number
of delegation Members undertook the opportunity to visit Kibera, the
poorest section of Nairobi, and witness ongoing American NGO work there.

That evening, the Commission met with international correspondents from
such news agencies as the New York Times, Reuters, and the Associated
Press, to discuss HDAC's mission in Kenya and also get the journalists
own viewpoints as to the progress of democratic reform, particularly
parliamentary reform, in the country. That evening, U.S. Chargé
d'Affaires Leslie Rowe hosted a reception for the Commission where they
interacted with a number of civil society, parliamentary, and Government
of Kenya counterparts.

On its third day in Kenya, the delegation left Nairobi at dawn for the
rural constituency of Kajiado South, in southern Kenya near the border
with Tanzania. Katoo ole Metito, the local Member of Parliament, took
the delegation to visit three projects that had been funded through the
Constituency Development Fund. This fund comprises 2.5 percent of the
government budget, and it is divided among the 224 MPs. Each MP uses a
share of the fund to pay for infrastructure development in his or her
district, with a 15-member advisory board providing significant input
into which projects the MP decides to fund.

The first project was the Kimana Health Center, a substantial annex to a
small rural clinic that offers basic medical services and preventive
health care, including AIDS awareness. Chairman David Dreier was asked
to dedicate the clinic. The delegation also visited the Sinet water
project, which protects a freshwater spring from contamination and then
pipes the clean water five miles to town. Rep. David Price, the ranking
Democratic Member of the Commission, was asked to dedicate the water
tower in town. The final project was the refurbishment of a building at
Namelok Primary School, made necessary in part by the government's
recent action making primary education free, which has swollen the
nation's schools. At all three projects, the MP and delegation were
welcomed by hundreds of enthusiastic residents, giving the delegation
insight into the relationship between an MP and constituents.

In Kajiado South, the delegation also received a briefing from the
deputy director of the Kenyan Wildlife Service on its efforts to improve
Kenya's tourism infrastructure and protect its famed wildlife and
visited the USAID-funded Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary, a private game
preserve that rents the land from the local community and creates jobs
for local residents. The Commission additionally visited a traditional
Masai village to learn more about their culture and customs.

**Liberia**

On July 8, the delegation traveled from Nairobi to Monrovia, Liberia.
During its five hours on the ground in Monrovia, the delegation met with
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to discuss the reconstruction of
Liberia, particularly the need to get the Monrovia electrical grid up
and running. President Sirleaf expressed her gratitude to the U.S.
Agency for International Development for contributing to this immense
undertaking (the Presidential Mansion and Capitol Building are
completely reliant on half-functional generators), and she noted that it
was the key campaign promise she intended to complete during her first
150 days in office. She also added that, while no one would be satisfied
with their allocations under her administration's first budget proposal,
they did highlight education for special attention in order to rebuild
the human capacity in Liberia. At the meeting's conclusion, Chairman
Dreier presented President Sirleaf with a plaque of appreciation from
the city of Monrovia, California, which Chairman Dreier represents.

Following the meeting with President Sirleaf, the delegation met with
the legislative leadership of the Liberian parliament. Among the few
dozen MPs in attendance were Edwin Snowe, the Speaker of the Liberian
House of Representatives and Isaac Nyenabo, the President Pro Tempore of
the Liberian Senate. The delegation discussed the prospects for a future
HDAC program in Liberia, which would need to be approved by the full
Commission, and the needs of the Liberian parliament. For their part,
the Liberian legislative leadership indicated their strong desire to
engage in a partnership with the United States, noting that Liberia is
the only other country in the world with a governmental system matching
that of the United States. At the end of the visit, Chairman Dreier
announced that four staff members of the delegation would remain behind
in Monrovia to conduct a staff assessment of the feasibility of an HDAC
program with the Liberian Congress. That assessment was subsequently
conducted from July 9 to 12.

**[APPENDIX F: November 2006 CODEL to Macedonia and
Afghanistan]{.underline}**

**Summary**

The House Democracy Assistance Commission conducted its third Member
assistance mission in Macedonia and Afghanistan from November 19 to 27,
2006. Led by Chairman David Dreier, the delegation included Reps. David
Price, Lois Capps and Earl Pomeroy. The delegation met with counterparts
from the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia from November 20 to 22
and from the Afghan National Assembly on November 25 and 26. Other
meetings included November 23 consultations with the prime minister of
Kosovo and the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, as well as Thanksgiving
dinner with U.S. troops at Camp Bondsteel; a November 24 dinner with the
U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan; and a November 27 luncheon with the U.S.
Ambassador to Finland and members of the Finnish parliament.

In Macedonia, the delegation began its program in the lakeside city of
Ohrid by meeting with almost 20 MPs from that electoral district to
discuss constituent relations. In Skopje, the delegation met privately
with Ljubisha Georgievski, the president of the Assembly, and held four
open sessions with MPs, plus two luncheons and a dinner at the
parliament. Among the topics discussed were rules of procedure;
committee work, public hearings and oversight; the role of government
and opposition coalitions; and bilateral relations. Three concurrent
meetings were held between congressional and Macedonian staff. While in
parliament, the delegation dedicated a computer server that the
Commission had earlier donated to the Assembly. The delegation also met
with President Branko Crvenkovski and Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to
discuss bilateral relations and Macedonia's progress toward NATO
membership, and with Deputy Prime Minister Imer Selmani to discuss
implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement.

In Afghanistan, the delegation spent two days with the leadership of the
Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of parliament, and with the leadership of
its committees. The delegation met privately with Speaker Yanus Qanooni
before signing a memorandum of understanding pledging the Commission to
assist the Afghan National Assembly in developing its library and in
training library staff, in cooperation with the Library of Congress.
Members met with chairs of all 18 committees to discuss administration
and organization of committees, while staff conducted a concurrent
session with Afghan committee staff. The delegation then held individual
meetings with the leadership and staff of six of those committees.
Luncheons with a group of women MPs and with the parliamentary
leadership gave Members an opportunity to speak with their counterparts
in a more informal setting. The delegation also met with commanders of
U.S. military forces in Afghanistan and with President Hamid Karzai.

**Macedonia**

The Commission's delegation to the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia
was enthusiastically received by the host parliament. Over the course of
three days of meetings and social events, Members of the Commission and
Macedonian MPs had the opportunity to discuss topics ranging from the
Assembly's new rules of procedure to the role of government and
opposition coalitions. A concurrent staff program gave congressional and
Macedonian staff the chance to discuss many of the same topics and to
build personal relationships for future contacts.

The delegation began its program in the lakeside city of Ohrid, in
southwestern Macedonia, meeting with most of the 20 MPs who were elected
in July from District 5, one of six electoral districts from which MPs
are chosen by a proportional party-list system. The Macedonian group
included several MPs who had participated in the HDAC program in April
in the United States, and they spoke highly of the lessons that they
learned during three days in the Michigan district of Rep. Candice
Miller. One of them told the delegation, "Everything that I learned in
the States I will be able to use to strengthen our young democracy. I
know that whenever I have a question, I will be able to talk to you."

A major topic of conversations in Ohrid concerned the constituency
offices that the National Democratic Institute (NDI) had created in the
previous parliament, which have not been reopened since the July
elections due to uncertain financial support. Those offices used space
in municipal buildings to give MPs from each political party space in
which to meet with constituents. MPs were vocal in their desire to have
district offices, particularly because individual members do not have
offices in the main parliament building. Delegation members agreed to
explore how the Commission might work with NDI to have the offices
reopened and staff salaries paid, while noting that a recurring expense
like staff salaries must quickly be assumed by the parliament itself. As
MPs met with U.S. Members of Congress, U.S. and Macedonian staff held a
separate discussion on constituent relations. Brad Smith, professional
staff member of the House Rules Committee, and Tommy Ross, legislative
assistant for Mr. Price, shared their experience in working with
constituents in their Members' districts, and listened to Macedonian
staff elaborate on the obstacles they face in conducting constituent
outreach.

Ljubisha Georgievski, the president of the Assembly, greeted the
delegation in Ohrid and invited Members to a private meeting the
following day in Skopje. The Speaker told the delegation of the need for
more expert staff, and he spoke of the need for ethics rules in the
parliament. Per the Chairman Dreier's promise, the Commission has
subsequently provided copies of the House and Senate ethics manuals to
guide the Assembly's effort to revise its rules. In the subsequent
meeting with Mr. Georgievski and party caucus leaders in parliament,
Macedonian MPs called for less restrictive rules on debate and for more
work to be done in committee, and they again cited the need for more
staff. Rep. David Price noted that it would be difficult for the
Assembly to reach adequate staffing levels until it gained control of
its own budget from the Ministry of Finance.

Concurrently, U.S. and Macedonian staff exchanged information and
perspectives on the Assembly's new draft rules and the work of the
commission responsible for rules, mandates, and immunity. Brad Smith and
Julie Kim, a foreign affairs specialist at the Congressional Research
Service, elaborated on the work of the Rules Committee in the U.S. House
of Representatives. They noted that the Rules Committee is mainly a
function of the majority party, and they contrasted that with the House
ethics committee, which is based on party parity. Participants draw
comparisons between the U.S. House of Representatives' emphasis on
efficiency and expediency, and the recognized need in the Macedonian
assembly for greater deliberation and legislative branch input into the
government's legislative proposals.

The issue of inadequate staffing was raised in a Nov. 22 meeting with
the chairs of committees in the Assembly. Committees have only one
staffer each, and the Macedonian chairs said that the effectiveness of a
committee depends on the initiative and strength of the chair. Mr.
Dreier encouraged the chairs to make the committees stronger, noting
that the "real work of the U.S. Congress" is done in committee and
parliament's power is enhanced when committees play a greater role. Rep.
Earl Pomeroy emphasized the importance of fairness to the opposition in
committees at the expense of efficiency, holding extensive public
hearings and allowing open debate in markup sessions. Mr. Price again
encouraged the Macedonian committee chairs to unite to seek greater
funding for parliament so that more committee staff could be hired.

Concurrently, Mr. Smith and Ms. Kim discussed the staff work of
committees and the role of information technology. Macedonian assembly
staff discussed several structural and technical challenges in their
work, such as limited space and computer capacity, as well as procedural
limitations like the lack of scheduled working days for commissions.
U.S. staff discussed the role of committee staff in providing
specialized expertise in congressional committees, as well as similar
challenges such as scheduling and jurisdictional issues. U.S. staff also
discussed the role of IT, in particular internet resources, both in
terms of accessing information for committee work and in disseminating
legislatively-focused information to congressional offices and
committees.

Ms. Kim also met with staff of the Research and Analysis Department of
the Assembly and discussed several principles that guide the work of a
legislative research facility, especially the notion of a legislature
having its own dedicated resource of information and analysis. Possible
options on the scope and emphasis of a nascent research institution were
discussed, as were ideas about having an organizational mission,
emphasizing client service, conducting outreach to Members, and
networking with outside institutions. Macedonian staff discussed recent
changes to their organizational structure and coordination between the
Secretary-General's office, the documentation unit, and other
legislative bodies. The recent orientation for new Assembly Members was
cited as a useful means to inform new MPs of the resources and services
available to them, including in the area of parliamentary research.

The delegation's final meetings in the Assembly, focused on the role of
majority and opposition parties and summarized the points of the
three-day program, while giving Members a first-hand look at some of the
political disputes within Macedonia. Again, Macedonian MPs called for
committees to play a greater role in the work of the Assembly, and
minority MPs voiced their concern that their voice must be heard in
committee, a sentiment echoed by Mr. Pomeroy. He also emphasized the
importance of MPs making their points concisely and professionally,
without personal attacks on other MPs.

Mr. Price reminded his Macedonian counterparts that both the government
and opposition coalitions should recognize the importance of keeping the
executive accountable. Both congressmen agreed that the minority does
not have a right to stop the legislative process, and at the end of the
day, a vote needs to be taken. Unfortunately, much of that session was
taken by an internal Macedonian debate as to whether the largest
ethnic-Albanian party had a right to be invited to the government
coalition so that Albanian voices might be heard, a point of contention
since it was the No. 2 Albanian party that was asked to join the
government.

Chairman Dreier and the delegation had an opportunity to dedicate a
plaque just outside the plenary chamber that commemorates the
Commission's donation of a \$50,000 computer server to the Assembly.
This server will enable the Assembly to move away from its reliance on
hard copies of documents and to develop resources like a legislative
information system. The delegation also toured a little-used meeting
room that Mr. Georgievski plans to convert into a larger parliamentary
library, with about 2,500 square feet of space, plus renovated committee
meeting areas. The delegation asked the Assembly to keep the Commission
updated on the progress of this initiative so that the Commission might
be able to offer advice and other assistance as the project goes
forward.

The delegation's three days of meetings in Macedonia also provided
opportunity to discuss U.S.-Macedonian relations and the country's
foreign policy goals of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
and the European Union. President Branko Crvenkovski stated that
Macedonia's relations with Washington "are of the highest importance,"
and Mr. Dreier assured him that "you should be sanguine on NATO
membership."

The delegation also met with Deputy Prime Minister Imer Selmani to
discuss the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended
a political crisis between the country's ethnic-Macedonian majority and
the ethnic-Albanian minority, a topic also discussed with the president
and prime minister. Mr. Selmani reiterated the government's commitment
to the Ohrid agreement, and the delegation expressed its support, noting
that the agreement might provide a model for neighboring Kosovo to
resolve its ethnic tensions. Both the executive branch leaders and the
Macedonian-U.S. Friendship Group in parliament indicated that
independence for Kosovo would be acceptable to them, with the conditions
that the international community is likely to place initially on an
independent Kosovo.

Members of the delegation had several opportunities to meet their
Macedonian counterparts in social situations as well, such as a pair of
luncheons and an ornate dinner hosted by the president in the
parliament's banquet hall. Members from both legislatures exchanged
contact information and pledged to remain in contact as the Assembly
proceeds with its efforts to become a more effective legislature in a
young democracy.

**Afghanistan**

The visit to Afghanistan by the HDAC delegation reinforced the intention
of Members of Congress to work with the members of the Wolesi Jirga in
their efforts to create a strong, effective legislature. The
delegation's trip to Kabul reciprocated a visit by eight MPs and three
staffers from the Wolesi Jirga to the United States in late August and
early September, visiting both the suburban Chicago district of Rep.
Mark Kirk and Washington. Meetings in the Wolesi Jirga focused on the
leadership of the institution and on strengthening the committee
structure. During the two-day visit, Chairman Dreier and the first
deputy speaker of the Wolesi Jirga signed a memorandum of understanding,
by which the Commission pledged to help develop the parliamentary
library in conjunction with the Library of Congress. The delegation was
impressed by the commitment of Afghan MPs to build a democratic system
in their country and to work within the political structures of the
parliament to resolve their differences.

Speaker Yanus Qanooni, a leading political figure in Afghanistan,
personally expressed his thanks to the delegation for the Commission's
support. In addition to meeting the delegation in his office, Speaker
Qanooni hosted a luncheon with the delegation and the five-person
leadership of the Wolesi Jirga, which facilitated a more informal
discussion of the challenges facing the Afghan legislature.

Speaker Qanooni expressed his thanks to the delegation for the
Commission's support and his hope that the Commission can assist the
development of his parliament. Referring to the civil war that followed
the end of Soviet occupation in 1989, he noted that Afghan leaders now
settle their disagreements with voting cards rather than weapons.

In the meeting with the speaker, Chairman Dreier expressed the
Commission's support for the Wolesi Jirga, particularly the
parliamentary library project. "Our commitment to help you build your
democracy is not one that we will shy away from," he said. "I am
confident that the American people will support this effort, because it
is in our national security interests that the Taliban not return and we
build a free, democratic Afghanistan."

President Hamid Karzai welcomed the delegation's efforts to help
Afghanistan build a democratic system, and he echoed Mr. Qanooni's
thoughts about the importance of having Afghans from different regions
and viewpoints work through the political process. The meetings with
President Karzai and members of parliament also featured discussion of
bilateral relations and the current situation in the country. Mr. Karzai
expressed concern that the government of Pakistan, and particularly the
governor of its Northwest Frontier Province, were not being helpful in
controlling Taliban and al Qaeda fighters on their territory, a
sentiment that was shared by some MPs

Legislative oversight of the government was a major focus of the
delegation's visit. Mr. Qanooni welcomed this, and the theme of
oversight was echoed in the delegation's meeting with the 18 chairs of
Wolesi Jirga committees. In response to a chairman's question, Mr. Price
noted that the power of the purse and the power to confirm presidential
appointees are two of the legislature's most important checks on the
executive.

The meeting with committee chairs was sophisticated and specific, with
discussion touching on topics like overriding vetoes, the relationship
between the legislative and judicial branches, and the effect of case
law on the legislative intent of Congress. One recurring theme was the
lack of technical staff for committees, each of which has a single
staffer. Mr. Price, a political science professor at Duke University,
referred to his doctoral dissertation when he told the Afghan chairs
that strong committees are a product of strong chairs who want to
influence public policy and staff who are expert and politically astute.

Concurrently, two House staffers met with a wide range of Afghan
committee staff. Mr. Smith opened up the meeting by explaining the
structure, process and role of Committees in the U.S. Congress. Lara
Alameh, professional staff member on the House International Relations
Committee, focused on the evolution of the U.S. Congress over the past
200 years and emphasized how the U.S. legislature is set up to deal with
conflict. Many of the questions by Afghan counterparts focused on the
hiring process of staffers in the U.S. Congress, the relationship
between personal and committee offices and topics relating to ethical
standards.

The focus on strengthening Afghan committees continued on the second day
of the visit. The delegation broke in half and conducted individual
meetings with the chairs, vice chairs and secretaries of six committees
from the Wolesi Jirga: Legislation; Finance and Budget; Defense and
Homeland Security; Internal Security; National Economy, Agriculture,
Rural Development and Non-Governmental Organizations; and Public Health,
Youth, Sports and Labor. The congressional delegation included Members
of several counterpart House committees and subcommittees: Rules;
Budget; Ways and Means; Agriculture; Military Quality of Life and
Veterans Affairs Appropriations; Homeland Security Appropriations; and
Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

For the most part, these individual committee meetings were focused and
productive, with the Members of Congress gaining valuable insight into
the Afghan system and politics, and the Afghan MPs asking specific
questions about the operations of congressional committees. In the
budget meeting, Rep. Lois Capps described how the U.S. federal budget is
a "statement of priorities." She and Mr. Pomeroy learned about some of
the challenges facing their Afghan counterparts; for example, more than
a third of the \$830 million government budget comes from international
donors who stipulate how their money should be spent, restricting the
flexibility of the Afghan government and parliament. Mr. Pomeroy
suggested that the committee hold hearings with government ministers and
meetings with international donors to help them work with the parliament
to plan a coherent spending plan.

The session with the Defense Committee was especially insightful, as
Chairman Nooralhaq Olumi described his efforts to increase the size of
the army to reduce the demands on U.S. and coalition forces and to
reduce corruption in the ranks. He complained that the government was
not responsive to his idea, a sentiment with which Mr. Price
commiserated. "Our system is not perfect," he said. "We have doubts
sometimes about our ability to influence defense policy."

Midway through its first day in Kabul, the delegation had an opportunity
to have lunch with a dozen women MPs in the home of Marnie Gustavson, an
American who has returned to her childhood hometown of Kabul to work
with Afghan women. The delegation was inspired by their stories of
courage in the face of personal danger and even physical assaults, and
Mrs. Capps in particular encouraged them to persevere in their effort to
represent and advance the interests of Afghan women.

A major focus of the Commission's work in Afghanistan will be the
parliamentary library, and Chairman Dreier signed a memorandum of
understanding pledging HDAC to support that facility during a ceremony
that was covered by the local and international media. The library is
housed in a newly renovated space, but it is in need of books,
periodicals, and other library materials. The Commission in September
had sent a specialist from the Library of Congress office in Islamabad,
Pakistan, to assess the needs of the library, and her report and
proposal are likely to form the basis of a Commission project. Training
for Afghan library staff is expected to form an important part of the
project.

Outside of parliament, the delegation had breakfast with U.S. troops
based at Camp Eggers as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and received
a classified briefing from U.S. commanders. They also had dinner at the
residence of Deputy Chief of Mission Dick Norland with USAID
representatives and the country directors of the State University of New
York/Center for International Development, the International Republican
Institute, the National Democratic Institute and the Asia Foundation to
discuss their work with the Afghan parliament and political parties in
the country. HDAC is cooperating with SUNY/CID to complement the
USAID-funded parliamentary strengthening program that is being conducted
in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program. The
delegation also met with representatives of NGOs and small enterprises
in Afghanistan that endeavor to improve the health, education and
economic well-being of Afghan women.

**Kosovo**

On Thanksgiving Day the delegation drove from Skopje to the
UN-administered territory of Kosovo to enjoy a Thanksgiving Dinner with
some of the 1,700 U.S. troops serving there as part of NATO's
17,000-strong Kosovo Force, which has been involved in peacekeeping
since 1999. Members dined with troops from California and North Carolina
in the massive mess hall of Camp Bondsteel, the headquarters of the
U.S.-led Multinational Task Force East, outside the city of Orahovac,
and expressed their thanks to the soldiers for their service.

Brig. Gen. Darren Owens, of the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas
National Guard, and his staff briefed the delegation on the
responsibilities of the task force and potential challenges as Kosovo
moves toward independence early next year. The 36th Infantry was in the
process of handing over its duties to soldiers from the 29th Infantry
Division, a National Guard unit primarily made up of units from
Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts. General Owens, who will relinquish
command in December, described the highlights of his one-year tour,
including transforming a multinational brigade into a smaller task
force; consolidating the base structure; and encouraging greater
involvement of the Kosovo Protection Corps and civilian authorities as
the territory moves toward independence from Serbia.

The delegation also met with Prime Minister Agim Ceku to discuss the
final status of the territory. The prime minister expressed
disappointment in the decision by UN envoy Martii Ahtisaari to delay his
recommendation on final status until after the January 21 Serbian
elections, but declared that Kosovars "haven't lost confidence" in the
final status process. Mr. Ceku said he would encourage Serbs to remain
in Kosovo and help build a "modern, multiethnic, secular country" that
will work toward EU membership. He outlined plans to create additional
municipalities in Kosovo so that 82 percent of the territory's Serbs
would live in Serbian-majority towns, and he said Kosovo would welcome
assistance from Belgrade to fund Serbian schools and cultural
institutions, provided that the money be channeled through the central
Kosovar government.

The delegation also met with Steven Schook, the principal deputy special
representative of the secretary general at the UN Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK). Mr. Schook, a retired U.S. military officer, cited the economy
as the biggest challenge to Kosovo becoming a successful country; in
particular, the need to move the black economy into the formal sector.
He expressed hope that Kosovo's lignite coal reserves would attract
outside investment once final status is resolved, with the hope that the
country could not only meet its energy needs, but become an energy
exporter to the region.

Mr. Schook told the delegation that Mr. Ahtisaari is likely to issue his
report soon after the Serbian elections in January, which would trigger
a transition period of 90 to 120 days for UNMIK to transfer authority to
Kosovar authorities. He cited the need to replace passports, create a
foreign ministry, and assume police and justice function as the top
challenges for the Kosovar government. Mr. Schook urged the Members to
send a message to the Secretary of State that a new UN resolution on
Kosovo's status needs to happen "as soon as possible" and should clearly
state that the territory will be an independent country, albeit one that
will cede sovereignty in some areas to KFOR and to an International
Civilian Office led by the EU, which will function somewhat like the
Office of the High Representatives in Bosnia-Herzegovina.