We urge the Government to refrain from political discrimination and unlawful decision-making.
Termination of employment due to expression of political beliefs in performance of work may follow only after the disciplinary procedure and corresponding justification, which we did not see in the decision of the General Secretariat of the Government published in the media.
Regarding the news that the employee in the General Secretariat of the Government was handed a decision of termination of employment due to expression of political beliefs in performance of work, we note that this kind of serious violation of official duty can be determined only within the legally prescribed procedure.
According to the Law on Civil Servants and State Employees, the expression of political beliefs in performance of work is a serious violation of official duty and it can be determined only in disciplinary proceedings, on the initiative of the immediate supervisor or the head of the body.
We have sent a request for free access to information to the General Secretariat of the Government asking an insight into the decision on initiating disciplinary proceedings and the imposed disciplinary measure, alongside the already published decision on termination of employment.
In case that this procedure was not conducted, we note that the decision of termination of employment is not legally grounded and that it opens the door to suspicion of political discrimination. The decision of termination of political employment, which we have seen in the media, contains only a general reference to the Law, without specifying the facts and circumstances.
Institute Alternative has previously warned that principle of political neutrality of civil servants needs streamlining, especially given the wide spread practice that civil servants are simultaneously councilors of political parties at the local level.
However, our initiative was not accepted at that time, while the current Government also failed to prioritise better normative solutions preventing undue political influence on public administration.
Milena Muk
Institute Alternative
