The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MAY 26, 2014

President Johnson Sirleaf’s launch of the Common Africa Position on the Post–2015 Development Agenda today, her launch of the Ministry of Education three-year Operational Plan and the National Election Commission’s mandate to 19 Election Magistrates in the conduct of the 2014 Senatorial election are among stories highlighted in our Monday, May 26, 2014 selected dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Ellen Launches CAP Today

According the Daily Observer, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will today, May 26, 2014 launch the Common Africa Position (CAP) on the Post–2015 Development Agenda. CAP is an ambitious agenda to sustaining development in Africa, and promise for no one to live in extreme poverty by 2030. CAP, which was adopted by a High Level Committee (HLC), addresses critical issues of inequality of services and promoting a sustainable environment, thus balancing the three pillars of sustainable development (social, economic and environmental), which may not be achieved in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which comes to an end in 2015.

Related Captions: Ellen Launched CAP on Post-2015 Development Agenda Today (The News), Pres. Sirleaf Launches CAP on Post-2015 Development Agenda Today (The Inquirer)

Ellen Launches MOE 3-Year Plan

President Ellen-Johnson Sirleaf has launched the Ministry of Education Operational Plan (2014-2016) with a number of recommendations aimed at improving the education sector of the country. According to an Executive Mansion release, the officially launched of the Ministry of Education (MOE) Operational Plan (2014-2016) was held at the Monrovia City hall under the theme: “Quality Education for All; Redirecting Our Future.” Commenting on the proposal proffered by the representative of Civil Society Organizations, Mr. Thomas Doe Nah, that Liberia requires a revolution in the education sector. President Sirleaf said it is necessary in furthering the goals, ideals and plans that had been presented by the MOE in its Operational Plan (2014-2016) by going one step further, IN PROFILE DAILY reports.

Related Caption: Three-Year Operational Plan Launched (FOCUS),Messy Educational Sector Cleanup Begins – As Pres. Sirleaf launches MOE 3-year Operational Plan(INSIGHT)

NEC Mandates 19 Magistrate…To Conduct Senatorial Election

Ahead of the October 14, 2014 special Senatorial Election expected to be held throughout the 15 counties in Liberia, the National Elections Commission has identified and mandated nineteen Election Magistrates to conduct the election in all 15 counties across the country. According to the Chairman of the National Elections Commission, Jerome Korkoya, the upcoming special senatorial election pursuant to the New Elections Law of 1986 is in accordance with Articles 46 which states that “Immediately after the Senate shall have assembled following the election prior to the coming into force of this constitution, the senators shall be divided into two categories as a result of the votes cast in each county, TheInquirer reports.

Related Captions: NEC Mandates Magistrates (New Democrat), NEC Issues Writ Of Election For 2014 Special Senatorial Race (Heritage),

CRC Holds Sectorial Meetings With Registered Political Parties, NEC

According to the Heritage newspaper, the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) over the week-end held separate sectorial meetings with registered political parties and the National Election Commission (NEC). The meetings according to the CRC Chairperson, Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott, were intended to update registered political parties and the NEC on views recorded from the consultative phase of the review process. She disclosed that the committee has almost covered the entire country and is now concluding with Sinoe County.

Related Caption:Liberians Want All Major Positions Be Elected(IN PROFILE DAILY)

Treasures From Liberia & S/Leone On Display

Director Johnnetta Bestch Cole, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Chistine Mullen Kreamer and Bonnie Berry, Assistant to the Director at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC, United States of America, on Wednesday May 21, 2014 warmly received a four-man delegation from the Embassy of Sierra Leone, who visited an exhibition entitled: “Visions of the Forests”: The Art of Liberia and Sierra Leone that is currently underway. The exhibition which was officially opened on April 9, 2014 will end on August 17, 2014, reports the Focus Newspaper.

Related Caption: Treasures From S/Leone & Liberia on Display at Smithsonian Museum of African Art (FrontPage Africa)

Fistula Plagues 2 Million – Women And Girls In Developing Countries, Says UNFPA

The Officer-In-Charged (OIC) of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Philderald Pratt, said about two million women and girls in developing countries suffer from obstetric fistula. Dr. Pratt made the statement Friday, at programs marking the  International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, held under the theme: “Tracking Fistula and Transforming Lives;” in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, IN PROFILE DAILY reports.

Related Caption: UNFPA Wants Robust Fight Against Fistula…As Liberia Celebrates Int’l Fistula Day (The News)

South Africa: President Jacob Zuma Inaugurated In Pretoria

The African National Congress (ANC) won a commanding victory in the general election on 7 May, 2014. More than 4,000 guests and several Heads of State are at the ceremony in Pretoria. Neither the US or UK are sending a representative but officials from Russia, China and India are attending. President Jacob Zuma was officially elected for a second five-year term on Wednesday by the ANC – dominated Parliament. The expected formality of the re-election was disturbed only by MPs from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who turned up at parliament in red overalls and hardhats, reports the Daily Observer Newspaper.

Related Caption: South Africa: President Jacob Zuma Inaugurated In Pretoria (The News)

OTHER STORIES

Ellen Seeks More Investment…Frowns On Negative Acts By some Citizens

Following fruitful discussions recently in Qatar by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, an investment mission from that country is to soon explore the possibility of investing in this country, as there are potential opportunities. Disclosing this to local journalists who accompanied her on the recent state visit to Qatar last week, President Sirleaf said the pending visit is the result of discussions held with the Qatari government and others, with diverse investment opportunities in that country. Among individuals, groups and institutions that the President held discussions with were the Minister of Energy of Qatar, Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar Mining, African Ambassadors Accredited to that country, National Bank of Qatar, Qatar Charity Society, RAF Islamic Bank and Al Faisal Holding, which operates the biggest shopping mail, The Inquirer reports.

AfDB Grants Ecobank US$200m Financing Facility

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (“Ecobank” or ”the Group”) and the African Development Bank (AfDB’) on Wednesday, 21^st May signed a US$200 million Trade Finance Facility. The facility was signed at an official ceremony held during the AfDB Annual General Meeting in Kigail by Mr. Albert Essien, Ecobank’s Group Chief Executive, and Mr. Alex Rugamba, Director, AfDB. The facility comprises two components; a US$100 million unfunded risk sharing facility to bolster Ecobank’s capacity as an international confirming  bank for trade transactions originated by issuing banks in Africa and another US$100 million trade facilitation loan which will be used by Ecobank to provide trade finance support to local corporate and SMEs in Africa, the Inquirer says.

PEN Int’l Establishes Branch In Liberia

PEN International, an institution promoting and protecting freedom of expression, writers including journalists across the continent of Africa, has established its branch in Liberia called PEN Liberian Center. The ceremony was held on Saturday at the Stella Maris Polytechnic Campus on Capitol Hill, in Monrovia. According to PEN’s President and Associate Professor of English at Penn State University-Altoona Campus, Dr. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, whose statement was read by a student of the Stella Maris Polytechnic, Mardea Early, the   establishment of PEN Center in Liberia has been long over as a result of other challenges. Madam Wesley said the organization was purposely established to promote and protect creative art of writing and writers in the society, and as such, she wants freedom of expression be protected locally and internationally, the IN PROFILE DAILY writes.   

YWCA Trains Several On Reproductive Health

The Young Women Christian Association of Liberia recently conducted a one day sexual reproductive health and leadership training for several students at the New Era School in the Bong Mines Bridge area. Speaking at the training workshop, one of YWCA’s interim students from the United States of America, Nia Baskerville who spoke on Reproductive Health and Gender Violence educated the girls on the effects of Gender Violence noting that young women and girls are mostly victims of violence, mainly sexual violence, The Inquirer writes.

World Bank Group Appoints Vice President And Auditor General

World Bank Group President, Jim Yong Kim, has announced the appointment of Hiroshi Naka as Vice President and Auditor General of the World Bank Group. A Japanese national, Mr. Naka brings more than twenty-five years of experience working with the Japanese Ministry of Finance (MoF) and multilateral organizations, where he specialized in issues such as economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, and supervision of financial institutions. “Hiroshi’s expertise will greatly benefit the World Bank Group,” Kim said. “He has a deep knowledge of controls and broad experience in policy coordination, foreign exchange control, supervision of international and Japanese banks, and managing complex relationships with multilateral organizations, “Kim also noted, INPROFILE DAILY reports.

ECOWAS Unveils 2015 Plan

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced plans to implement the ECOWAS Axle Load Supplementary Protocol by establishing weigh stations and weigh bridges at major border points on national highway by 2015. The disclosure was made by Transport Minister Tornorlah Varpilah who recently held bilateral discussion with the Vice President of ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure in Abuja, Nigeria, the New Republic reports.

20 Megawatts Of Power Earmarked For New Kru Town

The community of New Kru Town witnessed a consultation in relation to the construction and operation of two Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) generator facilities that would supply up to 20 megawatts of electrical power to the island and communities that surrounds it. Some other stakeholders in attendance of the program were the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), the National Port Authority (NPA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and members of the civil society, INSIGHT reports.