24. 02. 2011

Ombudsman sought protection

Belgrade, February 24, 2011. (Politika) - The Ombudman Sasa Jankovic, after the yesterday meeting with the President Boris Tadic, said that he had received the full support for his work from the chief of state, after serious threats he had been exposed to lately.

- This time, apart from common themes, we talked about the pressures being put through the media on the Ombudsman to act in a certain way. The President once again expressed his support to the independence of the state control organs and emphasized that our work should have not be steered by the political or other interests. Our work is not to heed wishes of politicians and the government and not to flatter citizens and pander non-justified expectations. I would like to let everybody know that I will not change the way I work - the Ombudsman said.

Jankovic said that he had received messages that "it would be better, in terms of relationship with the government, that he had not got into the situation to require the restitution of the amended articles of the Parliament's Rulebook on Procedures".

The regimentation of the independent organs occurs when the Parliament bring into its Rulebook of Procedure the clause according to which it could adopt the reports of the Ombudsman and the Commissioner. According to it, the Parliament could also decide not to adopt the report thus exposing independent bodies to the political pressure. If we have to be careful of how we critique the government in order a report to be adopted, we will no more be able to protect the interest of citizens - Jankovic explains.

He adds that two years ago he pointed out that blank resignations represented violation of civil rights and he claimed the Public Information Law was disputable.

- I had a duel with the Parliament regarding the Law on Electronic Communications, when they claimed I had not officially submitted the amendments, but that I had given them to the Parliament's doorman. I ascertained that some ministries had given false promises about privatization.  I reacted over the "Blitzkrieg" in the Belgrade Roma settlements. I pointed out the problems in judicial reforms and the elections for national minority councils. Lately, I have been intensively engaged in preventing fraud and abuse in health care. It is clear there have not been many political options spared from my critique - the Ombudsman listed the reasons why he was exposed to pressures.