USAID’s Parliamentary Program Links Members of Parliament
The development of active and dynamic relationships between constituencies and elected representatives is critical to the enhancement of civil society and democratic institutions in any country. One of the major outcomes is the work required toward the resolution of community issues and problems through communication and exchange of ideas.
In this respect, notwithstanding the impact of the holidays and the weather, December 2007 and January 2008 were busy months for USAID’s Parliamentary Program in Azerbaijan. The two-year Program, implemented by Development Alternatives, Inc., provides technical assistance to build the capacity of assistants to Members of Parliament (MPs) and permanent parliamentary staff; promote greater legislative and procedural transparency; and, enhance the overall effectiveness of Parliament.
With the last training session held in the Guba region in mid-December 2007, Program staff completed a series of initial trainings for 104 assistants to MPs, carried out together with the Parliament’s Human Resources Department. These trainings addressed constituency issues, and their linkage with the legislative agenda of MPs. During the trainings, assistants actively participated in discussions and provided examples of successful work, as well as problems they were experiencing while trying to address people’s concerns. Based on feedback and lessons learned from the initial trainings, project staff prepared with input from prominent international experts, a comprehensive and detailed four-day training program for MP assistants to be carried out in Spring 2008 in five regions and Baku.
 |
| USAID Assistant Administrator Menarchik (center) and Scott Taylor (center right) spoke with media during the first round table produced by the Agency’s Parliamentary Program. |
On December 19, 2007, after completion of the initial training, a new event initiated by the Parliamentary Program gathered 15 MPs and their respective assistants, as well as members of the Parliament’s leadership, for a round table discussion on the development of Parliament’s human and institutional capacity. The participants heard presentations made by MPs, their assistants, and project staff on international practice related to communication between constituencies and parliament. Ilkin Hasanov, the assistant of MP Asim Mollazade, who represents one of the constituencies in Baku, shared his experience in handling people’s concerns, which includes organizing regular meetings between MP Mollazade and citizens, communication with local and national-level state agencies, and preparation of draft laws. Wrapping up the discussion, Bahar Muradova, Deputy Chairwoman of the Parliament proposed to provide assistants access to plenary sessions and supported the creation of regional networks of assistants in order to increase their efficiency and success with these communities.
On January 11, 2008, the Program organized a roundtable between a group of MP assistants and local and international NGOs. During the roundtable, nine MP assistants who represented constituencies in Baku and a couple of regions of Azerbaijan, representatives of Counterpart International, Transparency International, CHF International, American Bar Association (ABA), Eurasia Foundation, Umid Organization, the Azerbaijan Marketing Society and Multimedia Technologies Center exchanged views on how to combine efforts to address citizens’ problems and to better engage constituents in development projects in the regions. The presence of Douglas Menarchik, USAID Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia and Scott Taylor, USAID Country Coordinator for Azerbaijan highlighted the importance of the event.
Speaking at the roundtable, Menarchik emphasized the role of the newly created institution of MP regional assistants in the democratic development of Azerbaijan, increasing the representative capacity of the Parliament and creating a bridge between constituencies, civil society and MPs. Taylor, in his remarks, noted that the MP assistants serve to strengthen democracy in Azerbaijan.
During the event, MP assistants and NGO representatives discussed areas for cooperation, including addressing citizens’ complaints, and enhancing conditions for the development of constituencies. Representatives of Counterpart, CHF and Umid offered their help in building relations between community groups and MP assistants in the regions. Transparency International and ABA indicated that they would provide legal advice to MP assistants through their network of legal advocacy centers, legal clinics and traveling lawyers. The Azerbaijan Marketing Society advised the assistants to contact them for conducting polls and marketing research, while Multi Media Technologies Center agreed to provide access to information and communication technologies.
“This was a useful opportunity for us to get information about NGO activities in Azerbaijan and potential area for cooperation in the constituencies between the MP assistants and civil society,” commented Taleh Shahsuvarly, Assistant to MP Aynur Guliyeva, who represents the Tartar region of Azerbaijan. “I got contacts for the NGOs and I am going to cooperate with them actively in order to solve problems people are facing,” he continued.
Journalists from many local and international TV and radio channels, news agencies and newspapers attended the event and reported on the roundtable in the media.
The USAID Parliamentary Program in Azerbaijan intends to make this round table the first of a series, and eventually to include MPs.
Back to Top ^ |
