GUGSP
© 1997, 98
Miro Sedivy |
GUGSP News Archive: 05 Jan - 11 Jan 1998
A summary of the most important events in the Slovak politics in the 2nd week of the year 1998.
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MONDAY 05 Jan 1998
Vladimir Meciar said, that the relation between the Slovak government and the Church has always been perfect. He thinks that there's very important religious freedom in Slovakia.
The price a Slovak citizen has to pay for a new passport increased from 200 SKK to 400 SKK (~12 USD) when issuing in 30 days. The issue time below three days pays 800 SKK and the price has been set up to 1600 SKK when a citizen needs a new passport within 24 hours. A Slovak passport expires after 10 years. All Czechoslovak passports expired on 31th December 1997.
The Czech President Vaclav Havel named a new government last week. Vladimir Meciar (RealAudio soundclips 35 kB and 16 kB) refused to communicate with the new Czech government, which is said to be created after a coup d'etat. However, the Slovak Defense Minister Sitek (Slovak National Party) sent a congratulation telegram to his Czech colleague Lobkowicz, with classical greetings and statements on very good relations between the two armies.
TUESDAY 06 Jan 1998
Official holiday - "Three Kings".
WEDNESDAY 07 Jan 1998
The Presidential Election in the Slovak Parliament will be held on 23rd January 1998 on 10am. The parties have to present their candidates until 12th January. Currently, only the Slovak Democratic Coalition and the Party of the Democratic Left already proposed their official candidates, Stefan Markus and Juraj Hrasko respectively. In the case the SDK presidential candidate S. Markus is not elected, the Christian Democratic Movement will propose a new candidate, or even it may support a former communist. Anyway, KDH will want direct presidential elections. Jaroslav Volf from the Social Democratic Party in Slovakia thinks, that if the new president is not elected, the Parliament will loose its power, as the government will control most state functions. Jozef Migas, the leader of the Party of the Democratic Left, does not think that the President could be elected before the Parliamentarian elections in September 1998.
Daily SME brought an information about the "president's counter" on a house opposite to the President's palace. This large digital counter, today showing a number 55 (remaining to the current President until the end of his function period), has been installed by a private agency Donar, whose chief said, that counter firstly had to show the current temperature and time, but "it has been installed by Italian workers". According to today's SME, this installation has been supported by the Culture Ministry, from the cultural fund Pro Slovakia.
The Slovak government still doesn't know, whether it will communicate to the Czech government. According to the government's speaker Belakova, it will be the subject of the government's session on 13th January.
Magda Pospisilova, the former speaker of the Prime Minister and the chief of the Government's Press Office works now as the chief of the Foreign Ministry Press Office.
According to the representatives of the smallest coalition Agrarian Party, the banks should be privatized more, so that the private owners could control them better, and such events as with the IRB (Investment and Development Bank) last month.
THURSDAY 08 Jan 1998
The Constitutional Court decided in the case of deputy Emil Spisak's mandate. When the Slovak National Party (SNS) deputy Bartolomej Kunc died last year, the SNS put their next candidate Ladislav Hruska to Kunc's place. However, according to the Election Law, a candidate with more preference votes has to take a deputy's mandate after a died colleague. Emil Spisak had more such votes than Ladislav Hruska. The SNS vice-leader Anna Malikova said, that they respect all laws, so Spisak can take this place, even if he's no more in SNS, and even represents interests of the opposition Democratic Union. Malikova emphasized, that SNS will initialize a modification of the Election Law, so that a party could propose a new deputy on a free place, and not a deputy will be put there automatically according to his preference votes. Emil Spisak said, that he'll take the place, and that he did not leave SNS, his membership just has not been renewed, because of Ladislav Hruska.
Defense Minister Jan Sitek awarded medals to the Radio Twist and the TV Markiza today, because of their very good work in correct and objective information about the Defense Ministry. This is a real surprise, as the Prime Minister declined to his Ministers to give any extra information to Radio Twist, TV Markiza and several newspapers. And now - he awarded them a official Ministry medal.
The President Michal Kovac (his "counter" has been switched off today for no reason) met foreign diplomats in Slovakia in the occasion of the new year.
Regular HZDS meeting in Bratislava-Pasienky sport hall. I thought of going there, but I was afraid... More information probably tomorrow.
Vladimir Meciar has been declared the most popular politician of the year 1997 by the newspaper Extra-S. There were just HZDS politicians on the first 10 places. The most unpopular politician was the President Michal Kovac... you may now imagine the political face of this newspaper...
FRIDAY 09 Jan 1998
There were no jokes on the yesterday's regular HZDS meeting in the Bratislava - Pasienky sport hall. However, Vladimir Meciar spoke about the nearing Parliamentarian Elections... He thinks that every one party, even in a coalition, should have 5% at least to get into the Parliament. Meciar would prefer also only one vote district in the whole state.
Jaroslav Volf, the Social-Democratic Party in Slovakia (SDSS) leader, whose party is in the Slovak Democratic Coalition, but which does not reach 5% itself, supposes this possibility of Election Law modification as violating the Right to Coalition.
The Slovak National Party (SNS) prefers only one vote district, and they would support the 5% clause, but they do not know any possible technical solution of retrieving votes of each coalition party. SNS wants to modify the Law, so that a party could propose a new candidate for deputy mandate after another died, not the candidate's preferences, as it's today. (see yesterday's news - 08 Jan - the first paragraph).
Jan Luptak, the Association of the Slovak Workers leader, refused the idea of only one vote district.
The Interior Ministry does not work on any new proposal of the Elections Law, and they can do so, only after receiving a request from the Interior Minister Gustav Krajci. According to Jan Carnogursky (Christian-Democratic Movement), the Ministry could finish a novelization proposal completely not sooner than in 6 months. And the Elections are in September...
The President Michal Kovac will name the new Finance Minister Miroslav Maxon on 14th January. The current Finance Minister Sergej Kozlik will remain the Vice-prime Minister.
The Slovak Democratic Coalition official presidential candidate Stefan Markus has been officially presented to the leaders of the Magyar Coalition. They promised the Magyar Coalition deputies won't vote for any other candidate than for S. Markus or Juraj Hrasko (the official SDL candidate) in the first round, that will be organized on 23rd January. Stefan Markus is the first candidate, being already posted in the Parliament. The Slovak National Party, as the Movement For a Democratic Slovakia won't vote for these two candidates, so it seems impossible to have a new President in the first round.
Pavol Kanis from the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) said, that even if his party will probably not reach more than 50% in the Elections, it wishes to become important in the formation of the new government. SDL's preferences are moving around 8.5 - 13%.
The Constitutional Court President Milan Cic said, that the Constitution should be modified in about twenty points, the presidential elections issue included.
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