New degrees of classifying state secrets

The Parliament adopted the draft Law on state secret in the first reading on Thursday, to replace the eponymous law of 1994, Info-Prim Neo reports. Service of Information and Security (SIS) deputy chief Sergiu Burduja has stated that, unlike the law in force, the draft defines notions as classifying information as state secret, classifying and declassifying information, secret degree and seal, etc. . The present classifying degrees (of special importance, strictly secret, secret) are to be replaced by other four degrees: strictly secret, secret, confidential, restricted. Depending on the classification degree, they establish four access ways to the state secrets, as well as the terms needed to have access to state secrets. The information labeled “strictly secret” is to be classified for a 25-year term, the info labeled as “secret” - up to 15, the information marked as “confidential” - up to 10 years, the documents sealed as “restricted” - up to 5 years. The information about the people having secretly collaborated with intelligence bodies the classifying term is up 75 years. The draft establishes the grounds to deny the access to state secrets as follows: a citizen supporting the activity of a foreign state, of a foreign organization or foreign citizens, prejudicing the interests of the Republic of Moldova (RM); a citizen participated in activities of parties, other social-political movements or associations, the activity of which is suspended or banned; not observing the commitments to keep the state secret. At the same time, a special regime of access to the state secret is provided for the President, Parliamentarians, Speaker, Premier and Ministers. Officials holding dual citizenship will be denied this special regime. The draft wants to empower the Government with the Presidential powers of endorsing the structure of the State Secret Protection Committee of drafting its Regulation. Some activities of the local administrations may also be labeled as state secret, as the list of information that cannot be classified has been enlarged. The SIS has been given new powers in protecting the state secrets. Moldova Noastra Alliance (AMN) MPs have warned the new law will bestow additional powers to the SIS. “The SIS, the chief of which is appointed by the Parliament, becomes more and more a tool against the Government political opponents,” said AMN parliamentarian Alexandru Lipcanu. “The draft contains provisions restricting the citizens' access to information, especially to district presidents, not members of the ruling party,” said the AMN's Leonid Bujor. Communist Vadim Misin has stated the draft was prepared well, correct and timely. He says the new law does not touch on the democratic values. NGOs earlier claimed the information items classified as state secret is larger than it should be in the conditions of a democratic state and asked to reconsider the draft.