29 April 2009
Ambassador Elizabeth Raspolic Discusses U.S.-Guinea Relations
CO.NX webchat transcript, April 27
Ambassador Elizabeth Raspolic, the U.S. chargé d’affaires ad interim to the Republic of Guinea, answered questions in an April 27 CO.NX webchat on challenges and opportunities for the United States and Guinea.
Following is the transcript:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
Webchat Transcript
CO.NX Webchat: U.S.-Guinea Issues
Guest: Ambassador Elizabeth Raspolic, Chargé d’Affaires
Date: April 27, 2009
Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT)
CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Welcome to today's webchat! We are taking your questions now. You can type your questions into the space below.
If you are just joining us, please feel free to introduce yourself.
If you are on a PC, use the F11 key to increase your screen view.
Comment [Morgane Fatoumata]: My name is Fatoumata Morgane. I am Coordinator of the Mano River Union Network.
CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Hello Fatoumata, welcome.
My name is Mark Betka; I am in Washington, D.C. I will be helping with the webchat.
Comment [Andrew]: Hi, this is Andrew. Everybody should press F11 now. It's much better.
Comment [sallay bayoh]: Sorry I couldn't start with introducing myself, I am Miss Sallay Bayoh, a Sierra Leonean leaving in Guinea, member of the Mano River Women Peace Network, Guinea chapter.
CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Hello and welcome.
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): Welcome, everyone. My name is Sarah, and I am a student in Washington, D.C.
Comment [Saran Djene]: My name is Saran Djene Kaba.
CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Hi, glad you are online with us!
Comment [Norm]: Hi, I am Norm Copeland and am moving to Guinea in June.
Comment [Saran Djene]: Hi Norm, you are welcome in Guinea.
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): Please be sure to visit our Facebook page: http://co-nx.state.gov to join with others around the world and to find out about our future webchat programs.
You may email us at conx@state.gov.
Also, find out about our webchats on the America.gov page here: http://www.america.gov/multimedia/askamerica.html.
Question [Saran Djene]: Ok thank you. What are you doing in this programme?
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): Hi Saran, Ambassador Raspolic will be answering your questions on U.S.-Guinea issues today.
Comment [Saran Djene]: Ok, I am waiting.
CO.NX Moderator (Mark): The Ambassador will join us in just a moment. She is logging into the chat room now.
Comment [Saran Djene]: Ok thanks, I am waiting.
Chargé Raspolic: Hello, All: I'm delighted to be here today and hope I can answer some of your questions and speak to your concerns.
Question [sallay bayoh]: To your own point of view, what will be some of the strategies Guineans will adopt to help them return peacefully to a democratic rule?
Answer [Chargé Raspolic]: I think the citizens of Guinea will have to work together and speak with one (or just a few) voices and tell the junta what the citizenry expects from them. Clearly, the ballot box is one option, but if there is a Transition Forum, it would also be an excellent sounding board for the junta to listen to the people of Guinea.
Q [Alhassane CAMARA]: I am Diallo Yaya and would like to know how to judge these act of the junta: to fight against the drug trafficking, corruption, revising mining contracts and getting back State Areas?
A [Chargé Raspolic]: It's hard to judge since the scope of work taken on by the junta is so broad. Surely, at the end of the Conte regime, drug trafficking and corruption were very serious issues. The junta has made a dent in trying to address the problems, but is no where completing their actions. We note that drug trafficking within the military has not yet been dealt with; plus, I am sorry to say, the corruption under the Conte regime is now appearing, bit by bit, within the junta and among its appointees.
Q [Saran Djene]: You know Guinea very well so do you have some ideas to resolve our problems?
A [Chargé Raspolic]: My most serious concern is that the Government of Guinea be run by the People of Guinea. We live in modern times with no need for a military regime to control the lives of a nation's people. A democratic government, selected by the people of Guinea will be the foundation of future progress.
Comment [Dianka]: Yes, that is surely what we all hope for. However, people of Guinea have only heard of democracy, and do not know democracy. So this is so far an unattained dream.
Q [Morgane Fatoumata]: The different discussions that are being held currently about the transition discuss the effective participation of "force vives,” among those are the civil society organizations. Do you think their actions can influence the transition?
A [Chargé Raspolic]: Absolutely. The Forces Vives are an integral voice within the International Contact Group-Guinea that is directed by the African Union and ECOWAS. For Guinean society to learn to speak with more coordination, it is essential that the political parties, the civil society and the unions learn to speak often and frankly with one another and that they begin to think in terms of coalitions in order to get their collective points across. Within a coalition, one does not always get one's way, but one learns when to concede for the benefit of the group as a whole.
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): We see all your questions coming in, and we appreciate your patience. Ambassador Raspolic is answering questions as quickly as she can.
Q [Alhassane CAMARA]: How can the United State help Guinea to get back in its constitutional regime?
A [Chargé Raspolic]: First, you have to hold the junta accountable for its actions. The reason there is no constitution in Guinea today is that the junta suspended it within its first 24 hours of existence. This was not a position taken by the people of Guinea. I do not mean to imply that the old Constitution was perfect, as it was not. However, the previous National Assembly had a mandate that had expired and was in no legal position to amend the Constitution. Once legislative elections are held, and the CNDD Chairman has agreed to that election being held in October, one of the first items on the new Assembly's agenda should be to write a new Constitution or to amend the old one.
Q [Mamadou Mouctar DIALLO]: I am Mamadou Mouctar DIALLO, President of NFD (political party). In face of the current president Dadis’ violations of his own commitment not to be a candidate at the presidential election and to organize a credible election, what is the position of the United States (sanction)?
A [Chargé Raspolic]: The U.S. Government is concerned that CNDD President Moussa Dadis Camara indicated on April 15 is considering putting himself forward as a candidate for president despite having promised the international community that he would not do so. The political candidacy of any CNDD member, or that of any high-level official appointed by the CNDD, is absolutely unacceptable to the U.S. Government.
Q [Norm]: How is the international community holding them accountable? What kinds of actions or sanctions are taking place?
A [Chargé Raspolic]: One of the most obvious actions is our suspension of assistance. We are now providing only humanitarian assistance and support for elections that would lead the country on a democratic process. All military aid has been suspended. We have tried very hard not to penalize the people of Guinea. The local Government has just received several thousand tons of food from the U.S. through the World Food Program. We also continue to monitor and support human rights. We have invested millions of dollars in the support of elections in Guinea. We support civic education activities as well as training the media in election coverage. Until elections take place, the U.S. Government will continue to limit our assistance programs.
Q [sallay bayoh]: Do you think going to elections at this particular stage is a good strategy for Guinean political and economic problems?
A [Chargé Raspolic]: Yes, elections are of paramount importance. Guinea today is being led by people who were not chosen by the people of Guinea. Let the elections begin with the selection of a new National Assembly and then let that group do its job by discussing what each representative's constituents want the government to discuss, enact and enable.
Q [Saran Djene]: What does the USA think about human right violation in Guinea? Do you plan actions to remediate on this matter?
A [Chargé Raspolic]: We are very concerned about the condition of human rights in Guinea, and we have been for a long time. This Embassy provides a meeting space for a wide collection of Guinean individuals and ONGs who are concerned with the subject and who meet once a month to discuss a human rights subject they have selected. Guinea is a signatory to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and, as such, the junta must respect human rights, in particular the right of due process. Democracy and the rule of law are absolutely central to the issue of effective governance.
Q [Dianka]: Hello, My name is Dianka, and I am an intern with REFMAP, which is the Mano River’s women network for peace. Well, I was born under the second regime, so I only knew of a regime that has widely been qualified as a dictatorship. And since the arrival of the junta to power last year, aid other than humanitarian aid has been suspended. That is perplexing to me as I believe that this is surely a time under which Guinea needs guidance. I supported neither the old regime nor the junta. I just want what is best for my country. Therefore, with a junta that is seemingly untrained and unprepared, a junta that promises (well, so far) to leave on December 10, why not take part in this transition as you did under the old unwanted regime, even if it is just to put more pressure on the junta to leave on their scheduled date? I feel as though the international community is waiting for Guinea to fail further and say: we told you so.
A [Chargé Raspolic]: It's a good question, but I don't think you will like my answer. The junta is a temporary group that has no administrative experience or knowledge of how to run a government. Why should they determine when they will let go of power rather than the people of Guinea? The sooner the junta permits and supports free, fair and transparent elections, the sooner the people of Guinea will have a government they have selected and that they will hold accountable for its actions. The longer a temporary military junta stays in power, the less likely they will agree to give up power. As for economic development, most serious investors will first look to see if the country has a rule of law where contract law is in place and is respected. Otherwise, the economy will lie stagnant.
Comment [Toure yarie]: I think that all the political leaders should leave alone the president Moussa Dadis Camara and his government, I mean CNDD until 2010 so that they can work more and better than the others political leaders. I think so.
A [Chargé Raspolic]: U.S. government policy is to condemn a coup d’état. Guinea is not alone in the situation, as we have also taken similar decisions regarding Mauretania and Madagascar. Our belief is that the political parties that exist in Guinea are quite capable of fielding a wide range of potential candidates that could better serve the people of Guinea. The President of the CNDD is a career military officer.
Q [Alhassane CAMARA]: Do you think maintaining Guinean junta condemnation would help to have a constitutional state?
A [Chargé Raspolic]: I would like to believe that the CNDD Government will live up to its word. The President of the CNDD has publicly stated he has accepted the election schedule proposed by the Forces Vives. This means the new National Assembly would be elected in October and could immediately take up the question of replacing the Constitution. Once this election has been held, the presidential first tour has been scheduled for November, with a second tour in December. If the international community succeeds in making it clear to the current, temporary administration that elections are vital, then we will have succeeded in our joint efforts to make sure that Guinea is on its way toward a participatory democratic government.
Chargé Raspolic: My thanks to all of you who have participated in this webchat today. I wish I could have replied to each question, but all of our time is limited. À bientôt....
Comment [soriba 2]: As a political party president (MMPG, mouvement patriotique pour le progrès de Guinée), I would like to thank you for this great initiative concerning the relationships between Guinea and the United States. We would like to go and visit the United States in order to learn the rules of good democracy. That is good governance - purely political to remove our country from obscurity and misery.
Comment [Morgane Fatoumata]: Thank you.
Comment [Saran Djene]: Ok thanks see you soon
Comment [Norm]: Merci beaucoup
Comment [Saran Djene]: Merci à toi, Norm et au plaisir de te retrouver en guinea.
Comment [Dianka]: Thank you!
Comment [Thomas]: Thanks Ambassador Raspolic. This is a great way to reach out!!
Comment [sallay bayoh]: Thanks.
Comment [Alhassane CAMARA]: Thanks.
Comment [Toure yarie]: Thank you.
Comment [Alhassane CAMARA]: Thank you. Thank you very much for supporting human rights.
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): Thank you all for joining us today and for your many great questions. Please visit our Facebook page at http://co-nx.state.gov to leave any comments and learn about future webchats. You may also email us at conx@state.gov.
CO.NX Moderator (Sarah): The webchat is now closed. We wish to thank Ambassador Raspolic for joining us today.
(end transcript)
