The government yesterday approved the creation of an ombudsman, sending the bill to parliament for discussion in November; the ombudsman’s office should begin operating in February 2002 with 15 to 18 employees and a budget of 16 million crowns ($337,000). The main task of the person appointed will be to mediate informal complaints presented by citizens regarding state bureaucrats. If the bill is passed into law, Slovakia will become the 50th country in the world to have such an institution.
Compiled by Tom Nicholson from press reports.
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