04. 07. 2006

THE CONSTITUTION AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION

BELGRADE, July 4, 2006 (Beta) - Information Trustee Rodoljub Šabić said that the Serbian Constitution lacks guarantees for public information rights. In an open letter to the Serbian Parliamentary Council for the Constitutional question, Šabić said that the new constitutional proposal must bring in the rights for having access to information and guarantee that these rights will be respected according to the highest international standards. “While Serbia-Montenegro existed, these rights were guaranteed by the human and minority rights charter, but since a new constitution is in the progress of being developed, it is important to articulate quality constitutional-legal guarantees as soon as possible.” Šabić said. He also warned that individual regulations of the constitutional draft offered by the ruling coalition do not meet the requirements of standards confirmed by the Law for Free Access to Information of Public Importance and recommendations made by the Council of Europe’s Ministry Committee. “Solutions within the new constitution need to improve on the already existing one, and the reached level of human rights, and it must also be acceptable for the international community because that is also in the best interest of the democratisation of the country.” Šabić said.