Black list released
Health Minister Harutyun Kushkyan, Emergency Situations Minister Armen Yeritsyan, Mayor of Stepanavan Sargis Gharakeshishyan and Rector of the Northern University Boris Makichyan top the black list prepared by the Freedom of Information Center.
Head of the center Shushan Doydoyan today released the names of individuals who run state structures and have violated humans' fundamental right to receive information in the first quarter of 2011.
"We must extirpate the idea that information is one's property. That is one of their first, if not primary issues. We must stand up for our right and force them to respect it," said Shushan Doydoyan.
In the past five years, the center has also registered progress. Unlike the same period in 2006 when there were only 50-55% of answers, this year there are 88% of answers.
"The results are based on 50 surveys. Officials often ignore them, especially when they are surveys taken from average citizens. They not only violate the 5-day timeframe for responding to the survey questions as prescribed by the legislation, but also ignore the surveys. We have only received two written explanations for denial," said the head of the Freedom of Information Center.
The center has sent surveys to all ministries, but only the Ministry of Culture has responded within the timeframe prescribed by the law.
