Liberia: Government urged to expedite passage of FOI bill

The Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) welcomes the steps taken by Liberia to adopt a Freedom of Information law for the country and calls on the National Legislature to expedite action in passing the Freedom of Information Bill submitted to it last month by a coalition of ordinary citizens, media and civil society organizations.

Rising from its meeting in Kampala, Uganda, the Steering Committee of the Centre commended the Liberian civil society movement for the unprecedented manner in which it mobilized and demonstrated public support for the concept of open and transparent governance as the country strives to reposition itself for post-conflict reconstruction.

Thousands of Liberian citizens representing diverse interest groups marched through the streets of Monrovia to the National Legislature on April 17 with a petition calling on the parliamentarians to review and pass a draft Freedom of Information law "within the shortest period possible." The draft Freedom of Information Act was formally presented to the National Legislature, along with two other draft laws – the Independent Broadcasting Regulator Act and Liberia Public Broadcasting Service Act.

The Africa Freedom of Information Centre pledged to puts its resources at the disposal of the Liberian civil society, the National Legislature and the Government of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to ensure a speedy consideration of the Bill and the adoption of a Freedom of Information Act which meets international standards.

Mr. Edetaen Ojo, Chair of AFIC's Steering Committee said: "We are pleased to see that less than two weeks after the Freedom of Information Bill was presented to the National Legislature of Liberia, it went through the first reading on May 1, 2008 at the plenary session of the House of Representatives, which has now referred the draft Law to its Committee on Information and Broadcasting with a two week timeframe to submit its report. We commend that Legislature for these initial steps and call on it to complete the entire process speedily.

The Centre also recalls that at an International Conference on the Right to Public Information held in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., from February 27 to 29, 2008, at which several members of AFIC's Steering Committee were in attendance, Liberia's Information Minister, Dr. Laurence Bropleh, made a commitment before the international community that the Government of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, fully supports the draft Freedom of Information Act and would ensure its passage into law. Accordingly, the Centre calls on the Liberian Government to live up to this pledge by working with the Legislature to ensure that Liberian citizens have a right of access to information guaranteed by Law in the shortest time possible.