An Appeal for the Establishment of an Official and Comprehensive Web Presence for the Liberian Legislature: An Open Letter to the Outgoing and Incoming Members of the Liberian Legislature.
An Appeal for the Establishment of an Official and Comprehensive Web Presence for the Liberian Legislature: An Open Letter to the Outgoing and Incoming Members of the Liberian Legislature. Honorable Legislators The Liberian Legislature Capitol Building, Capitol Hill Monrovia, Liberia Dear Honorable Legislators: Season’s greetings! To those departing, I extend my sincere gratitude for your dedicated service to the Liberian people and wish you success in your future endeavors. To the incoming legislators, congratulations, a warm welcome, and best wishes for a successful tenure as you embark on serving your people. I am writing to bring to your attention the urgent need for the Liberian Legislature to establish a comprehensive and official web presence, particularly a dedicated website. In this 21st century, marked by technological advancements and an increasing demand for transparency and accessibility, such a digital platform is imperative to enhance the functioning of our esteemed legislative body. Before I go further, let me inform you that a few years ago, the Liberian Legislature owned and maintained a website, www.legislature.gov.lr, which was developed with funding from the National Democratic Institute (NDI). I know this because my firm, in collaboration with NDI, played a crucial role in the website’s creation and maintenance. In fact, my firm conducted comprehensive training sessions for over 150 legislative personnel, focusing on the Linux operating system and Drupal content management system—the technologies that powered the platform. Included in those training sessions were the current deputy minister for press and public affairs, Mr. Jalawah Tonpoe, and the current deputy director general of the Liberia Broadcasting System, Mr. Isaac Redd. I am sure that they can attest to what I am saying. The aim of those training sessions was to ensure the website’s continued functionality. Regrettably, sustaining the website was not considered a priority by the past legislature. Consequently, it remained inactive for an extended period and eventually disappeared. For several years now, the Liberian Legislature has operated without a dedicated website. Given that we are well into the 21st century, the absence of a functional website is a notable deficiency. While leveraging social media is essential for various reasons, it should not serve as the Legislature’s official web presence. Instead, there is a pressing need for a fully operational website that enables constituents to access and understand the workings of their legislative representatives. Honorable Legislators, there are several compelling reasons why the establishment of a website for the Liberian Legislature is crucial in the 21st century. In the following paragraphs, I delineate ten of those reasons. Honorable Legislators, I heard through the grapevine that there were previous efforts to revive the Legislature.gov.lr website, but challenges were encountered in securing the domain (legislature.gov.lr). If this is indeed the case, it suggests that those involved in the process may not have conducted thorough due diligence. While Liberia may not have complete control over its country code top-level domain (ccTLD) or the .LR domain (a matter that both the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and the Liberia Telecommunications Authority need to address promptly), I believe there are alternative approaches or solutions that could be explored to regain the domain name. If necessary, it could be replaced with a more suitable alternative for the Liberian Legislature. Top of Form I understand the challenges and responsibilities that come with public service, and I appreciate your dedication to the betterment of Liberia. I am hopeful that this appeal resonates with you, and I look forward to witnessing the positive impact that an official web presence can have on our nation’s governance. I strongly believe that the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial investments and that the establishment of a website aligns with global best practices in legislative transparency and citizen engagement. I kindly urge you, Honorable Legislators, to champion this initiative and work towards the prompt establishment of a comprehensive and official web presence for the Liberian Legislature. I am confident that this step will contribute significantly to the advancement of our democracy and the empowerment of our citizens. Thank you for your attention to this matter. And, if I can be of any assistance, please let me know. Sincerely, Darren Wilkins Dr. Darren Wilkins Advocate for a Digital Liberia Author of the book, “A Digital Liberia: How Electrons, Information, and Market Forces Will Determine Liberia’s Future”