“Transparency” reaction Dissatisfied with the proposed law for free access to information   The civil society organization “Transparency Macedonia” is not satisfied with the proposed law for free access to information, for which they announced to propose eight amendments. According to Zoran Jacev, the latest version of the proposed law is different from the one they proposed as a civil sector (supported by other civil society organizations). For “Transparency”, the most disputable issue is the non-existence of an independent commission for free access to information, which had been foreseen previously, and whose task would be to examine the complaints ledged by the information seekers. In the latest version of the proposed law, instead of a commission, the complaints would be lodged to a court in charge of them, which, according to the organization members would only put off the procedure. “It would mean slowness in acting and would seriously threaten the constitutionally guaranteed right for access to information. The law does tell which institution would take the commission’s authorities referring to training of the administration for the law application and passing the sub-legal acts. It does not foresee protection from revenge of the people, who might reveal information of public interest that has not been previously known in public”, says Jacev. He emphasizes another flaw in the proposed law, that is the lack of clearly defined budget assets, which would only make its application more difficult. In several amendments, the organization wants to replace the role of the Ministry of Justice for the implementation of the law with a commission foreseen in the previous version of the law, and the report on the implementation of the law should be submitted either to the commission or the Government. “The Ministry of Justice should stop being the intermediary of information and of what the appellate courts would be examining”, emphasized Jacev. The organization wants the law not to be limited by other laws, as is the case now, but also to protect the providers of information.   Z.G.