BRATISLAVA, May 24, (WEBNOVINY) — According to deputy Jozef Viskupic (SaS deputy faction), both the Statistics Office and the Personal Data Protection Office proceeded incompetently with the ongoing census 2011. In spite of this, citizens should participate in the census as in every civilized country, the deputy remarked. He added that people do not have to worry that the data will not be anonymous, as he believes that the 30-million-euro project is set up in a way that rights cannot be violated, he said after the meeting of the SaS deputy faction with heads of both institutions.
The deputy believes that both institutions by should be held accountable by authorities. He did not want to speculate on who is to blame for the problems with the census.
Head of the Office for Personal Data Protection Gyula Veszelei stated that when the office published its objections to the doubtful anonymity of the census forms, head of the Statistics Office Ludmila Benkovicova phoned him. In response to the question of whether she told him off over the phone he said: “I can say that.” Veszelei denies responsibility of his office for problems with the census. In spite of concerns regarding the anonymity of the data, he plans to fulfill his duty to participate in the census. “Whether it will be with resentment is another thing,” he said.
Benkovicova told journalists that she is prepared to take responsibility for the course of the census. “There is a law on state statistics in which reasons for the dismissal of the office’s director are stipulated. If I meet any of the reasons, they can dismiss me. The president has to issue dismissals,” she explained. According to her, the census is proceeding in line with the law.
SITA