6 persons and media institutions received awards for promoting free access to information

4 persons and 2 media institutions from Moldova received a bronze bell, as an award for promoting free access to information. The Awards were offered by the ‘Acces-Info” Center on Tuesday, September 26 at the annual conference “Free access to information: legislation, practice, perspectives”. Awards were given to Tudor Iascenco, who works at ‘Cuvantul” newspaper from Rezina, the jurist Eugen Rabca, mass-media expert, Claus Neukirch, spokesman of OSCE Mission to Moldova, Oleg Rotaru, deputy-head of the Personnel of the Government, as well as “Timpul de dimineata” newspaper and Pro TV Chisinau. The director of “Acces-Info” Center, Vasile Spinei, declared at the press conference that the situation regarding access to information in Moldova is better at Governmental and Parliamentary levels, but it is poorer in other public institutions. According to the cited source, the central institutions of the state answered at 82% to the information requests, compared with 62% of the last year. On the other hand, only 9% of those 864 mayoralties which were solicited to provide information on different issues answered to the solicitations compared with 14% in 2005. At the same time, only 25% of the judicial institutions provided the requested information. The speaker of the Parliament, Marian Lupu, who was present at the conference, noticed “a deficit of culture on access to information, both of public authorities and citizens, inconveniences which must be eliminated by making public authorities more open and educating responsible citizens”. Lupu said that Moldova involved in the process of European integration, fact which has a distinct significance in improving the state of affairs in the access to information field. He said he is sure that “now public authorities understand better the importance of guaranteeing access to information in light of the credibility, efficiency and responsibility advantages transparency brings”. John Balian, prime-secretary for culture and press at the US Embassy in Moldova, as well referred to the importance of the access to information, both for citizens and government. In this context, he mentioned that in the Transnistrian region of Moldova there are tendencies to monopolize information. The annual conference “Free access to information: legislation, practice, perspectives” is carried out within the frameworks of the Right to know Days, which are organized for the 3rd time in Moldova. The conference will last for two days. Foreign and Moldovan experts will attend it.