GUGSP
© 1997, 98
Miro Sedivy |
GUGSP: YEAR 1997
Chronology of the most important events in the Slovak politics in the year 1997.
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January
The President Michal Kovac returned the second novelization of the Penal Law to the Parliament, because it limited the human rights.
The opposition initiated the petition for a referendum about direct elections of the President.
February
The Mandate and Immunity of the Parliament has been reorganized, so that 11 coalition and 8 opposition deputies were elected into it.
The Parliament decided to ask the President to proclaim a referendum about Slovakia's entrance into NATO.
March
About 20 opposition deputies and a group of actors demanded a dialogue with the Culture Minister Ivan Hudec in the Ministry building. The police arrived to turn them out, and the Minister left the building with a coat over his head.
The Parliament did not accept a law on direct presidential elections.
The President declared a referendum about Slovakia's entrance into NATO and direct presidential elections for May.
April
Czech President Vaclav Havel said, that Meciar suffers of paranoia. Slovak ambassador has been recalled to consultations to Bratislava and the Czech President has been asked to apologize.
Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin signed several agreements in Slovakia.
May
The referendum has been marred by the Interior Minister who canceled the distribution of legal tickets, and ordered the print and distribution of illegal three-questions tickets. There were just 9.5% of voters, major part of them refused Slovakia's entrance into NATO.
The President Michal Kovac and the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar summoned each other to resign.
The Foreign Minister Hamzik resigned because of the unsuccessful referendum, and Zdenka Kramplova will take his place later.
June
The European Union demanded the Slovak parliament to change many democratic conditions until November, if it still wants to be invited to dialogues about the entrance.
The Education Ministry prohibited to issue bilingual graduation documents at schools with the minority education language.
July
Five opposition parties (Christian Democratic Movement, Democratic Party, Democratic Union, Social-Democratic Party in Slovakia and Green Party in Slovakia) signed an agreement on a cooperation. They called themselves later as the Slovak Democratic Coalition.
Prime Minister invited representatives of all parliament subjects to a discussion forum. After six hours, there was no result.
Madrid NATO summit decided, that Slovakia won't join into NATO in the first round.
European Committee asked the Slovak government to improve democracy in Slovakia, if it wants to join into the European Union.
The Constitutional Court decided, that the former HZDS deputy Gaulieder has been excluded from the Parliament against the law, so the Parliament should put him back.
August
V. Meciar met the Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn.
The coalition deputies refused to participate on extra parliamentarian session concerning Gaulieder's mandate.
September
Vladimir Meciar said, that he offered to the Hungarian Prime Minister on their August meeting, to allow Hungarian and Slovak people to move between two countries. There were protest reactions both in Slovakia and Hungary.
French nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen arrived to Slovakia, invited by the Slovak National Party, whose leader called Hungarians "the European disaster."
International Court in Hague decided in the Slovak-Hungarian issue of the Gabcikovo Danube Dam.
The Parliament did not accept the request of the Constitutional Court and refused the return of Gaulieder into the Parliament.
October
The Czech and Slovak Prime Ministers met for the first time since the Czechoslovak split (nearly 5 years!) in Piestany.
The meeting of the heads of the European Parliament and the parliaments of associated countries has been canceled, as the EP chairman refused to come to Slovakia.
The Prime Minister and the President, without meeting themselves, agreed on non-attacking each other.
November
The Highest Court refused the claim of citizen L. Nagy against the Interior Minister G.Krajci in the issue of the marred referendum.
The European Parliament asked the Slovak government to respect the freedom of the press.
Three opposition deputies have been elected into the parliamentarian committees
December
The Prime Minister canceled all government's press conferences due to "low cultural level of journalists".
Meciar said some stupid jokes on the HZDS meeting addressed to Czech representatives, who strongly protested. He said also, that if the Slovak Democratic Coalition wins elections in 1998, he'll stop his political career.
The Parliament accepted the state budget for next year.
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