NewsWhore
09-18-2009, 02:20 PM
The Prosecutor General of the Republic, Radhames Jimenez Pena, and the Institutionalism and Justice Foundation (Finjus) have rejected recent attempts to modify the Law of Free Access to Information with the argument of establishing "the truthfulness" of the information. Jimenez Pena said he was totally in disagreement with the modification of the Law of Free Access to Public Information as submitted by Puerto Plata deputy Alfonso Crisostomo. "There can be no restraints of any kind placed on the freedom of expression in the press", he said.
Crisostomo submitted his bill after journalists Alicia Ortega and Nuria Piera disclosed irregularities in the use of legislator's bloated expense accounts.
Jimenez said that he does not believe that any state institution has any reason to be hiding information. He was of the opinion that information about the handling of government resources should be freely accessible to the public.
For his part, the executive vice president of FINJUS, Servio Tulio Castanos Guzman, warned about the threat to democracy if the assembly members were to insert a "veracity" test into the Constitution. He assured reporters that establishing a prerequisite of "veracity" in order to find or publish any information constitutes a form of prior censorship that should not be permitted in a social and democratic state of law.
Senate president Reinaldo Pared Perez and the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Julio Cesar Valentin have both rejected the Crisostomo initiative. They have told the press it would not get enough support to pass.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
Crisostomo submitted his bill after journalists Alicia Ortega and Nuria Piera disclosed irregularities in the use of legislator's bloated expense accounts.
Jimenez said that he does not believe that any state institution has any reason to be hiding information. He was of the opinion that information about the handling of government resources should be freely accessible to the public.
For his part, the executive vice president of FINJUS, Servio Tulio Castanos Guzman, warned about the threat to democracy if the assembly members were to insert a "veracity" test into the Constitution. He assured reporters that establishing a prerequisite of "veracity" in order to find or publish any information constitutes a form of prior censorship that should not be permitted in a social and democratic state of law.
Senate president Reinaldo Pared Perez and the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Julio Cesar Valentin have both rejected the Crisostomo initiative. They have told the press it would not get enough support to pass.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)