Source: Danas
The Commissioner for Information expects that the Government will adopt the Ombudsman's proposals after the debate in the Parliament about the Law on Personal Data Protection.
Belgrade - The Serbian Government and the ruling coalition in the National Assembly are running out of time to decide whether they will adopt 15 amendments to the Bill on Personal Data Protection submitted by Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic.The Ministry of Justice has so far opposed these amendments for which the Ombudsman received support from non-governmental sector, certain opposition parties and the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance.
Commissioner for Information RodoljubSabic said that he believed the Government would pass perfectly rational and sensible decision .
- I expect that there will be no problems and that the Government will adopt all amendments because it would be perfectly rational and sensible - said Mr.Sabic, who announced resignation to this function a month ago if the Bill is not amended by the amendments proposed by Ombudsman Jankovic.
Deputies completed general debate on the Bill on Personal Data Protection two days ago and Minister of Justice Snezana Malovic announced that this ministry would consider in detail amendments submitted by Ombudsman Saaa Jankovic and propose to the Government to support those by which the solutions would be improved. The bone of contention regarding the Government's Bill is Article 45, paragraph 2 under which security services have the right to deny information to the public and independent institutions which should control those services at their own will invoking interests of the national security. According to evaluations of supporters of the Ombudsman's amendments, such a thing completely relativize authorities of the body competent for personal data protection. They claim that this solution does not have an example in the international comparative law and that it is contrary to the obligation Serbia took by signing the Additional Protocol to the Convention on Protection of Persons against Automatic Processing of Personal Data.
- This Bill may be even under the level of the Ombudsman's authorities set by the Law passed as early as during Milosevics reign - Mr. Sabic said.
Although Minister Malovic said at the end of debate on the Bill on Personal Data Protection in the Serbian Assembly two days ago that it was completely in compliance with international conventions and documents, Mr. Sabic said that he did not want to speculate about what would happen, pointing out that he believed the Government would adopt the proposed amendments after all.
Interfile: LDP supports Ombudsman
Vesna Pesic, President of the Political Council of LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), said for Danas that the Ministry of Justice adopted one of 15 Ombudsman's amendments, but the key amendment on which a part of the public insisted had still not been adopted. LDP will stand by the Ombudsman and the Commissioner till the end. We will not vote for the Law if the amendments proposed by Saaa Jankovi are not adopted , Vesna Pesic said.
