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Refusal to Provide Donor Information Raises Concerns About Transparency

Published January 28, 2026, 17:03
Refusal to Provide Donor Information Raises Concerns About Transparency

The refusal of the Auditor General to provide information about the donors of the independent social support agency has sparked strong reactions from the House Institutions Committee. Members of the Committee have described the refusal as a blow to democracy and a potential criminal offense, as it hinders parliamentary oversight. The Committee emphasized that the Parliament has a constitutional obligation to oversee the executive branch and that its request for donor information is perfectly legal and necessary for the performance of its duties. Committee President, Dimitris Dimitriou, stated that the refusal to submit information is permitted only in exceptional cases concerning national security or foreign affairs. He also invoked the European data protection regulation and the Cypriot law on the protection of personal data, arguing that the processing of data is lawful when carried out by the Parliament within the framework of its powers. The House Institutions Committee is awaiting compliance from the executive branch with the legislation. In the event of non-compliance, it will take a collective decision on further action. This case highlights the tension between the Parliament and the executive branch regarding access to information and the exercise of parliamentary control. The refusal to provide the information raises questions about the transparency of the agency and the possible reasons why some wish to keep information about its donors secret. The House Institutions Committee insists that transparency is a fundamental principle of democracy and that access to information is essential for the proper functioning of institutions.

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