OMBUDSMAN’S OFFICE OPENED IN BUJANOVAC

7. December 2011.

The Protector of Citizens’ Office was opened today in Bujanovac, which is the first such office outside Belgrade. The Ombudsman, Sasa Jankovic, said that the opening of the office was aimed at increasing the trust of citizens in the governmental institutions and at improving the operation of the local self-government.

“Today, when we are opening the first Ombudsmasn's Office outside Belgrade, I appeal to the central government to include the right to a good administration in the Serbian constitution, since this is the first time that the government becomes a service of the citizens,” Mr. Jankovic said

On the occasion of the opening of the Ombudsman’s Office, he said that the Protector of Citizens’ work was facing a series of problems, but that, in spite of everything, the operation of the governmental bodies was being improved every day, which was invaluable for the Serbian citizens.

“However, I am not fully satisfied with the number and type of cases. The fact that 9,141 complaints were lodged with the Ombudsman’s Office thus far, while only 340 of them were filed in Presevo and Bujanovac, is the sign of a lack of citizens’ trust in the governmental institutions,” said Mr. Jankovic.

As for the type problems, he said that those of the citizens of South Serbia were identical to everyone else’s problems, but that those in South Serbia were “more complicated and more noticeable”.