Chairman Price Leads HDAC Delegation to Partner Nations Macedonia and Ukraine
The House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) sent a bipartisan delegation of seven House members to Macedonia and Ukraine from March 14 to 22, 2008. The trip marked the Commission's tenth congressional delegation since its establishment in 2005. Rep. David Price (D-NC) led the group, which included Reps. David Dreier (R-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), and Judy Biggert (R-IL). This was the second visit to each country by an HDAC delegation since each partnership began.
The HDAC partnership with the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia contributes to strengthening the Assembly's information technology capabilities, developing constituent relations services, enhancing the role of committees in performing oversight of the executive branch, and protecting minority rights in a multi-ethnic democracy. In Ukraine, HDAC has collaborated with the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukranian legislature, to improve the oversight role of committees, develop the role of parties in the legislature, establish and enforce ethics rules, and use information technology to improve transparency and facilitate.
In Macedonia, the delegation held meetings with small groups of Members to discuss their roles and activities in the Assembly. Half of the delegation met with the Parliamentary Women's Caucus to discuss effective advocacy and legislative initiatives, while the other half met with parliamentary leaders to discuss oversight and committee operations. In its work with the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, HDAC has encouraged the body to develop constituent services and exercise stronger oversight over the executive.
The delegation also had the opportunity to meet with the Speaker of the Assembly, Ljubisha Georgievski, and dedicate a computer server suite donated by HDAC to enhance the Assembly's information technology resources. Outside of the Assembly, the delegation visited a constituency office funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and met with local Members in the Tikveš region of Macedonia. There, the U.S. lawmakers shared with Macedonian Members and staff their experience with constituent representation. HDAC's encouragement of robust constituent services in the Assembly has produced significant results as the Macedonian National Assembly has decided to permanently establish constituency offices throughout the country, with HDAC providing training for the staff. Finally, in advance of NATO's April Bucharest Summit, the delegation also met with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Milošoski, and Minister of Defense Lazar Elenovski.
In Ukraine, the HDAC delegation met with MPs in the Verkhovna Rada, many of whom were elected for the first time in the September 2007 elections. The delegation held four discussions with new MPs on topics that included constituent relations, committee operations, budgeting, and social policies. The discussions reflect the areas that the partnership between HDAC and the Verkhovna Rada is advancing. The delegation also met with Speaker Arseniy Yatseniuk and with senior members of the foreign affairs and defense committees. Outside of parliament, the delegation met with President Viktor Yushchenko and local and regional officials in Lviv, the western Ukrainian city that is a center of Ukrainian political culture.
In addition, the delegation also visited Kosovo. This was the first congressional visit to Kosovo since that country's declaration of independence on February 17, 2008. HDAC Members had an opportunity to meet with government leaders and legislators, and also travel to Camp Bondsteel to visit with U.S. military personnel supporting the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR).