Source: Blic
I also do not understand what the author of the Proposal for the Constitution Law wanted to say in Article 5 in which he envisages that the Assembly, on its gathering after the election of the new Government, should harmonize the law regulating „implementation of the right of citizens to be informed“ with the Constitution, says for „Blic“ Rodoljub Sabic, Commissioner for Information of Public Importance.
The Proposal of the Constitution Law envisages that the Assembly should at the same session also elect the „body in charge of monitoring implementation of the rights of citizens to be informed“.
- If the authors of the proposal have a problem with personal solution for the function I currently perform, then they could resolve it differently, by re-election for instance - says Sabic and adds that the possible intention of the Proposal authors is to „keep the institution in the dark“. According to him, it would be very detrimental, because the Law on Free Access to Information is in the greatest possible measure applying European principles in the field of human and civil rights protection.
- It would be very dangerous to keep such an institution in the dark, which has otherwise been established under the pressure of the Council of Europe. Speaking about the harmonization of the Law with the Constitution, there is no need for that, because based on my initiative the New Constitution has included provisions regarding the right of the citizens to have access to information of interest. The Proposal written by the Minister Lončar and Dragor Hiber didn't include that - says Sabic.
The biggest discussion in the public regarding the work of Sabic has been triggered by the request of non-governmental organization that BIA (Security-Intelligence Agency) should deliver them the data about the number of wiretapped citizens in 2005. Because Rade Bulatovic, BIA Manager refused to do so, with the explanation that it is a state secret, the mentioned non-governmental organization turned to the Commissioner for Information. Sabic ordered the BIA Manager to deliver the requested information. Instead of doing so, Bulatovic has submitted to the Supreme Court a charge against the Commissioner's Decision. Some members of the Government, like the Minister of Justice, Zoran Stojkovic, have publicly criticized Sabic.
