Representative Adam Schiff Leads HDAC Delegation to the Wolesi Jirga in Partner Nation Afghanistan

The House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) sent a delegation of three House members to Kabul, Afghanistan from May 22 to June 1, 2008. The trip marked the Commission's eleventh congressional delegation since its establishment in 2005. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) led the delegation, which included Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) and Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD). This was the second visit to Afghanistan by an HDAC delegation since 2006.

HDAC's partnership with the Wolesi Jirga, the Lower House of the Afghan National Assembly, focuses on contributing to strengthening legislative oversight of the government, strengthening its committee system, and enhancing its parliamentary library and research capacity.

The U.S. lawmakers met with Wolesi Jirga Members from five committees. These discussions provided the delegation the opportunity to share their experience in committee operations with their counterparts in the three-year-old Afghan legislature, with a particular emphasis on oversight. One of HDAC's chief goals in partnering with the Afghan National Assembly has been to contribute to bolstering their committee operations so they are more able to exercise oversight of the executive. The delegation also met with Speaker Yanus Qanooni and other leaders of the Wolesi Jirga.

The delegation participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the Afghan Parliamentary Institute, an annex to the main parliament building that was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). HDAC also contributed by providing funding for a parliamentary library project that provides technical and material assistance for the Institute.

In addition to meetings with the Wolesi Jirga, the delegation met with President Hamid Karzai, Defense Minister Rahim, officials in Charikar, the capital of Parwan province, north of Kabul and U.S. military leaders in Kabul. On their second day in Afghanistan, the U.S. legislators visited service members from their home states at Camp Eggers and Bagram Air Base.

In addition to Afghanistan, the U.S. lawmakers visited Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to meet with government and legislative leaders. In Pakistan, the delegation met with President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Yousaf Gilani, Speaker Fahmida Mirza, and Asif Zardari, leader of the Pakistan People's Party. In Azerbaijan, the delegation met with President Ilham Aliyev and reformist Members. In Armenia, the delegation met with senior officials, including President Serge Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan.