GUGSP
© 1997, 98
Miro Sedivy |
GUGSP News Archive: 09 Feb - 15 Feb 1998
A summary of the most important events in the Slovak politics in the 7th week of the year 1998.
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WEEK 8
MONDAY 09 Feb 1998
The Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic answered to the Christian-Democratic Movement deputy Ivan Simko to his question concerning the marred Referendum last May (about referendum). Ivan Simko thought his human and citizen's rights were violated. The Constitutional Court agreed, that Ivan Simko's right to participate on the referendum, and also his right to manage the public affairs, were violated by the acts of the Interior Ministry. Ivan Simko added, that the opposition will decide on how to continue on Thursday.
The German courts refused to accept the bail for Michal Kovac jr., the current Slovak President's son, who has been accused of financial deceit with the Slovak company Technopol. Now, Michal Kovac jr. is in a Czech prison, and will move to Germany soon, where several good lawyers will speak for him.
It seems the coalition won't propose their candidate even in the second round, which should be held before 6th March. Arpad Matejka from Meciar's HZDS does not refuse the idea of the Slovak National Party, that Vladimir Meciar, the current Prime Minister, could be an official candidate for the presidential function. However, as this is a very important question, which would definitively show the future orientation of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), it's necessary to decide on this question in the whole-country HZDS session in April. This means, that if Meciar wants to run for a candidature, the representatives would (and they will) decide for him in April only. But this would mean, that Slovakia would be without the President in March, April and May... According to Arpad Matejka, if Meciar does not want to become President (doesn't he???), the new President should be elected in April. Augustin Marian Huska, the vice-chair of HZDS would like Meciar on the President's armchair, but only with more powerful functions.
The Slovak Democratic Coalition is currently preparing a new version of the Slovak Constitution, which has many serious faults.
The President Michal Kovac's monthly salary is about 100,000 Sk (~3,000 USD, or more than 12 times the average monthly salary in Slovakia). But in 21 days, he will leave the office and his life-long monthly pension will decrease to 30,000 Sk, and possibly, if the government accepts it, he will get also the bodyguards.
TUESDAY 10 Feb 1998
The second round of the Presidential Election will be held on Thursday, 5th March 1998, since 10am. There are still no sure candidates of the opposition parties, and the coalition won't pose their candidate in the second round again. However, all candidates have to be presented within 20th February.
The government met today on its regular session led again by the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar, who has apparently problems with his right eye. The government proposed on its today's session a person for the new chairman of the Supreme Court, Stefan Harabin. It also proposed the new vice-chairs Lehotak and Stefanko. However, these persons are not well accepted among the judges of the Supreme Court. The Parliament will discuss about them tomorrow.
Ivan Trimaj from the President's Office said, that according to the Constitutional Court, the government was not allowed to interfere to the last May's referendum about Slovakia's entrance into NATO and the direct elections of the President, which has been finally marred by the Interior Minister. Ivan Trimaj does not consider the referendum really held, but the Constitution does not resolve this problem, as it even does not presuppose that a referendum could be even marred.
The Slovak Ambassador to the Czech republic Ivan Mjartan would like to leave his current function and to return to the Slovak politics. He would like to participate in the Elections, and it's quite well possible he will cooperate with Vladimir Meciar in his HZDS.
The Slovak Republic and Hungary will probably annul all financial relations in the case of the Gabcikovo Danube Dam. However, this information, issued in many media has not been confirmed by the competent persons. Two countries will probably solve the financial differences by the delivery of the electric energy.
The affair around the attempted murder of Vladimir Meciar is nearing to its end, as the Interior Minister said, they are treating the possible announcers. The Ministry is maintaining the security of all buildings where Vladimir Meciar
The deputy of the opposition Christian-Democratic Movement Ladislav Pittner said today for Radio Twist, that it's a political issue, just for saving Prime Minister's positions. Ladislav Pittner also added, that most HZDS important representatives are already preparing their possible lives abroad, purchasing foreign passports.
The Union of tradesmen is considering the participation in the high politics, mainly in the Parliament. The tradesmen, who have nearly one million members, would run for the candidature in the Parliament as independent deputies.
Czech President Vaclav Havel said, that he is currently not preparing any steps forward to Bratislava, but is awaiting attempts to communicate from Bratislava.
WEDNESDAY 11 Feb 1998
The 41st Parliamentary session continued today. The most important issue was probably the discussion about the new chairman of the Supreme Court. Stefan Harabin was proposed by the parliamentarian committees and accepted by more than a half of present deputies. There were more problems with the proposed vice-chairs of the Supreme Court, Stanislav Lehotak and Jozef Stefanko. One of them has been positively treated as a co-operator with the communist Intelligence Service. When the opposition Christian-Democratic Movement deputy Ivan Simko requested the parliamentary session non-public, the vice-chair of the Parliament Augustin Marian Huska refused by words "Mame velke tusenie." ("We have a big presentiment."). Ivan Simko therefore refused to precise which of the candidates was the co-operator with the Intelligence Service. Even if none of the candidates has been accepted by the judges of the Supreme Court, still, the Parliament decided that Jozef Stefanko became the vice-chair of the Supreme Court. Stanislav Lehotak did not persuade the deputies of his qualities and was not elected.
The Minister of Culture Ivan Hudec, well known of his very strange steps in the culture last March, added another useless affair to his account last week. The radio Twist, very popular because of its high quality news, asked the Council for the Television and Radio Broadcasting for a new frequency in Eastern Slovakia. This Council couldn't but accept by 7 votes out of 9, and Radio Twist will get its new frequency soon. However, Ivan Hudec, very unfriendly to everything that does not respect the current coalition rules, accused the Council because it was manipulated. Well, the Council proclaimed today, that the Minister did not tell the truth in all points concerning the decision on Radio Twist's frequency and sent him the result. Until now, Ivan Hudec still refuses to react to the Council's message.
The conflicts in the coalition party Association of the Slovak Workers continue. Maybe 7 deputies will leave the club if the chairman of the Fund of the National Ownership Stefan Gavornik does not resign.
The President's son Michal Kovac jr., currently in the Czech prison will be moved to Germany (Munich) tomorrow morning and will speak at the court.
Nineteen days before the end of his presidential function period, the President Michal Kovac came home from Nagano, Japan. After the Slovak ice-hockey players lost the chance to play further matches, he probably had nothing to watch there and is already at home. On the other side, the chairman of the National Council Ivan Gasparovic just left Bratislava to visit the Slovak sportsmen in Nagano and will watch the last ice-hockey match Slovakia - Germany (it's for the 9th place).
THURSDAY 12 Feb 1998
Several Slovak Democratic Coalition deputies met today with the President Michal Kovac. After his trip to Japan, and only eighteen days before the end of his function period, the President learnt the news about the decision of the Constitutional Court in the issue of the marred Referendum last May. It seems the President will still declare a new referendum. Jozef Prokes from the Slovak National Party said, that it would be the decision of the President, whether he wants to continue in violating the law. Jozef Prokes added, that it's also the Constitutional Court, who violates the law...
According to the ideologist of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) and the author of the only Slovak translation of George Orwell's novel "1984" Dusan Slobodnik said, that not only the opposition is responsible for the bad image of Slovakia abroad, but also the Czech President Vaclac Havel.
The Minister of Culture Ivan Hudec won't apologize to the Radio Twist for non-sense accusations. Radio Twist got a new frequency last week in Eastern Slovakia from the Council for Radio and TV Broadcasting, and Ivan Hudec accused them for manipulated election. When the Culture Minister has been asked by a journalist of Twist, whether he will apologize, he answered briefly "You should apologize..."
Two deputies Anton Poliak and Marian Polak have been hospitalized today because of serious heart troubles. According to their colleague Miroslav Pacola, the very probable cause were their recent problems with the work in the Parliament, when they decided to leave the Association of the Slovak Workers.
According to the Interior Minister Gustav Krajci, the preparation of the new Election Law is nearing to its end. Instead of original eight, only one vote district will be used, which would mean that each party will have at most 150 candidates on its vote ticket for all citizens. Also five per cent will be required for each one party in any coalition, which really destroys the philosophy of the coalition system...
The 41st Parliamentary session continued today also by the regular Hour of Questions and Answers. As usually, the Prime Minister apologized for his absence and the former Finance Minister, the current vice-chair of the government Sergej Kozlik answered questions for him again. As usually, he answered the first question during the whole 15 minutes, which took the whole time limit for the Prime Minister, so he did not have to answer other less pleasant questions. Fortunately for Kozlik, the first question came from an HZDS deputy.
The Health Care Minister Javorsky said, that one pharmacie per 5-6000 habitants should be enough, and explained why he wants to decrease the current number of pharmacies, who even do not have money, mainly because the insurance-companies do not pay them.
The Slovak National Party leader Jan Slota said about the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense Imrich Andrejcak, that "he's disgrace of our army." The Parliament will discuss this point tomorrow.
The Parliament did not accept the Ftacnik's novelization of the law about the Slovak Television, which means, that the question about production of TV news and the usage of the TV channels is still open.
The President's son Michal Kovac jr. has been transported from The Czech republic to Munich in Germany, where he'll state on the court because of an international financial deceit.
FRIDAY 13 Feb 1998
The President Michal Kovac received three letters from the opposition deputies concerning the repetition of the last May's referendum, which has been marred by the government, as the Constitutional Court proclaimed a few days ago. The first letter was from the Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH) Ivan Simko for himself, as the Constitutional Court answered him, that also his own basic rights have been violated by the decision of the Interior Minister Gustav Krajci. The second letter was from the spokesman of the Slovak Democratic Coalition (which includes KDH too) Mikulas Dzurinda who demanded a referendum for the entire coalition. The third one was sent by the Magyar Christian-Democratic Movement (MKDH) deputy Pal Farkas who sent it for his movement. The President should reply to the requests within next week. He certainly does not have much time for that, as the digital counter opposite to his palace showed 17 today...
According to Pal Farkas, the referendum with four questions, as the President declared it last May, so about our entrance into NATO (1. entrance of Slovakia into NATO; 2. emplacement of the foreign military bases in Slovakia; 3. emplacement of the nuclear weapons in Slovakia) and about the direct presidential elections (the fourth question), should be declared as soon as possible, or maybe around April 20.
The opposition deputies are collecting the signatures to recall the Interior Minister Gustav Krajci. Even if they collect 30 deputies' signatures for the special Parliamentary session, they would need the impossible 75 votes in the Parliament for recalling him.
It is here! The Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) will probably propose its own candidate in the second round of the Presidential Election on 5th February. Only three days after the current President Michal Kovac leaves his office, the leader of HZDS Vladimir Meciar will sit in the Parliament's hall and wait how the deputies decide about the new President. Yes, Vladimir Meciar, the current Prime Minister will run for a presidential candidature. He will be proposed by the chair of the HZDS deputy club Tibor Cabaj, who said, that even if Meciar still did not accept it, he didn't refuse the idea. Vladimir Meciar said, that until now, he did not give such an acceptation. The Slovak Democratic Coalition supposes the current HZDS's steps as very nervous and not well prepared.
A new political subject "Strana Obcianskeho Porozumenia" (SOP - Party of a Civic Comprehension) has been registered today. This new party, founded in Kosice, is led by the Kosice Mayor Rudolf Schuster, and there's the former Foreign Minister Hamzik, and the Banska Bystrica Mayor Presperin on the leading places.
The 41st Parliamentary session had to continue today, but as there were almost no coalition deputies, it will continue on Tuesday 17th February.
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