On January 25 “Asparez” Journalist’s Club of Gyumri filed nine identical suits
with the court of primary jurisdiction of Shirak region versus administrations
of 9 communities of the region (Azatan, Amasia, Ardenis, Voghji, Lusaghbyur,
Mets Sepasar, Pokr Sepasar, Horom, Shirak). The demand of the plaintiff to restore
its right to information receipt is due to the failure of the heads of these
communities to answer the official inquiries of the organization.
On October 21-23, 2006 “Asparez” made a written inquiry to all 119 communities
of Shirak region requesting copies of the communal budgets for 2006 and of resolutions
by the Council of Senior Citizens made from January 1, 2005 till September 30,
2006. On December 18, 2006 repeated inquires were made to the communities that
had not replied. As of January 25 (the day the suit was filed) 51 communities
made no reply, 7 provided incomplete information, the remaining 61 replied to
the inquiry, although many of them violated the procedure for answering the
inquiry as stipulated by the RA Law “On Freedom of Information” – within 5 days
after it was received.
As YPC was told by the Chairman of “Asparez” Board Levon Barseghian, the organization
intends to file suits versus the other 42 communities that failed to reply the
inquiry.
