WASHINGTON, DC, Oct. 13 -- A Liberian senator has told American democracy advocates that his country faces two threats at once: multinational mining companies working through legal deals, and drug cartels working through bribes. He said either one could hollow out Liberia's democracy from within if it is left unchecked.

By Rodney D. Sieh

Senator Amara M. Konneh is an independent lawmaker from Gbarpolu County in northwestern Liberia and chairs the Senate's Public Accounts and Audit Committee. He spoke at a private roundtable hosted this month by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a U.S.-funded

organization that supports democratic institutions abroad. His remarks are drawn from talking points prepared for the session and review...