According to the outcomes of the monitoring "Freedom of Information in Armenia 2011", the best result was received from the administration of Oshakan Village: it provided full responses to all 5 requests submitted on time.

In May-June of 2011, Freedom of Information Center's 10 requesters filed 250 requests to 50 bodies. 173 of the requests were sent via post, 37 were submitted via e-mail to the official addresses and 40 requests were presented orally via telephone.

According to the monitoring results, full and on-time responses were received for 56 % of all requests submitted, late responses were received to 19%. Around 30 % of the requests went unresponsive (mute refusal). Coordinator of the monitoring Gevorg Hayrapetyan believes that it is a tangible number. "Many state agencies prefer not to give any response when they are not willing to give a response or want to reject the request", says Mr. Hayrapetyan.

Gevorg Hayrapetyan stresses out that during the monitoring, Freedom of Information Center and the partners, who helped to send the requests, never made any attempt to put the agencies possessing the information in awkward position: they did not send requests via e-mail to village administrations, and when the requests were sent via post, the deadlines were prolonged. 

The Monitoring Coordinator believes that after the adoption of the law on Freedom of Information positive changes took place. "Municipality of Stepanavan presented negative results in the past and this year this agency was among the bests: 4 full responses sent on time, one late full response. Previously we have filed the lawsuit against the administration of Yelpin village and today they presented a positive result: 4 full responses, one unjustified answer", Mr. Hayrapetyan brings the examples. Compared to 2004, the number of full responses increased to 5% and almost the same decrease of mute refusals and unaccepted requests are recorded.

This year negative results were recorded in village administrations of Aygedzor and Tsav as well as in private organizations with public importance "Clinical Hospital" CJSC and "Catherine Group" Co. Ltd, they provided no answer to any request.

Among the Bodies of State Governance, negative results were obtained from the RA National Assembly, RA Police and Food Security and Veterinary State Inspection. They have provided no on time full responses to any of 5 requests submitted.  To one of the requests submitted to the National Assembly the response was received within one month and 16 days and it was incomplete. To one of the requests directed to the State Revenue Committee it was received a written refusal with the queerest justification that the RA Government does not define the order of providing information since it is defined by the law on Freedom of Information adopted in 2003.

The best results among the Bodies of State Governance were form the RA Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Issues and Ministry of Education and Science.

Positive results were recorded from the municipalities of Stepanavan and Yeghegnadzor. "The worst result was recorded from the municipality of Ashtarak which has provided 3 mute refusals, Gyumri and Ijevan municipalities which stressed in their responses that the information will be provided if the person of inquiry will be present in person in the municipality office, the one who lives in Yerevan", says Gevorg Hayrapetyan. 

Out of ten mazrpetarans (regional administrations) the best results provided marzpetarans of Syuniq and Shirak, the negative result was received from Vayots Dzor marzpetaran.

All inquires and responses are placed on the web-site of the Freedom of Information Center www.GiveMeInfo.am. "We already have a feedback. Many people call us, send late responses which will be placed on our web-site", assures the Monitoring Coordinator.  

This year survey shows that the state agencies have a discriminatory approach while providing information. They are more willing with journalists and organizations than for example with students. It is a violation of the right to receive information.

Mary Aleksanyan  
Photo inforrm.wordpress.com
Source www.hra.am