IRI Sponsors Public Affairs Radio Talk Shows

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2006

Monrovia, Liberia — The International Republican Institute (IRI) sponsored a series of public affairs radio talk shows in Liberia to inform citizens and give them direct access to their elected officials. The shows offered citizens an opportunity to hear how different political parties view the role of parties in addressing the country's economic development and hear specific proposals to improve the economy.

In a series of six one-hour shows aired over a three week period, IRI brought together leaders of Liberia's 11 political parties to discuss their parties economic development platform and answer listener questions. Each show featured four party officials in a roundtable discussion. Callers challenged the parties to contribute to the economy by creating employment opportunities for their partisans and many accused opposition parties of being silent and doing nothing to help alleviate the plight of Liberians. For their part, opposition political parties accused the government of being insensitivity to the plight of Liberians and called on the government to open a dialogue with opposition political parties aimed at including opposition ideas for economic development.

The IRI-sponsored shows aired on two popular radio talk-shows, Topical Issues on Radio Veritas and 50 - 50 on Sky FM and were carried throughout the country on community radio stations.

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