Transparency Macedonia: Government Stalls the Adoption of the Law on Access to Information

28 September 2005

On the Occasion of September 28, the International Day of Freedom to Access to Information, Transparency Macedonia launched a lobbying campaign with the aim to accelerate the procedure for adoption of the Law on Access to Information of Public Character.

Transparency launched the lobbying campaing at the press conference held yesterday in Skopje

Today, the citizens of Macedonia had the opportunity to ask the government question from all areas of their interest, through the collection points set up at Macedonian Square in Skopje by Transparency Macedonia, under the activities to mark the International Day of Freedom to Access to Information.

At the press conference held yesterday at the NGO InfoCentre in Skopje, Zoran Jacev, President of Transparency Macedonia, reiterated the need to adopt the Law as soon as possible.

�The Government constantly brags about being a leader in the region in this or that area, but in this truly important field, we lag behind Europe and the other countries in the region�, said Jacev.

Transparency Macedonia representatives emphasize that, according to their information, the Law has been stopped in the parliamentary procedure, due to the lack on agreement on the provisions that require the establishment of an independent body that will be in charge of implementation of the Law.

In Jacev�s words, the problem is, above all, of pragmatic nature, having in mind the lack of funds to finance such a body.

�The Government has the right to be concerned about the possible sources of funds for the Commission, but nobody said that the democracy comes cheap�, he said and emphasized that the lack of a proper institution charged with the implementation and supervision of the Law could lead only in abuse of the legal provisions.

Also, Transparency emphasizes the need to first adopt the Law (their own Draft, currently stuck in the Parliament, has successfully passed the public debate stages and the expertise of the Council of Europe), and only then could we discuss the manner of implementation and possible abuses.