GUGSP
© 1997, 98
Miro Sedivy |
GUGSP News Archive: 27 Apr - 01 May 1998
A summary of the most important events in the Slovak politics in the 18th week of the year 1998.
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WEEK 19
MONDAY 27 Apr 1998
The 7th Congress of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia was held in Kosice during this weekend. "Surprisingly", Vladimir Meciar was elected for the leader of HZDS again. The director of the Governmental Office Milan Topoli has been elected to the post of the administrative vice-chair of HZDS on the place of the former vice-chair Arpad Matejka, who recently decided to leave HZDS. The place of Olga Keltosova, the current Ambassador to UN won't be occupied. Two vice-chairs Sergej Kozlik and Augustin Marian Huska remained on their places.
The Slovak Television, which is already well-known as the tool of the governmental coalition, really showed its face on Saturday. The whole day, there were direct entries from Kosice, and one of the main evening programs was one-hour-speech of the leader of HZDS Vladimir Meciar. Apart of other, he said also, that HZDS will do everything so that Slovakia becomes one of the most developed countries in the world by 2010. HZDS did not discuss on its list of candidates for the elections, and will do so on another smaller congress.
The Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) had its congress in Zvolen. They prepared the pre-electoral campaign and also accepted their list of candidates in the autumn parliamentarian elections. Although Pavol Kanis - "the shadow prime minister of SDL" planned to become the electoral leader of SDL, the delegates of SDL accepted the current leader Jozef Migas who will be at the first place in the case the new electoral law is accepted. Also, SDL refused any form of cooperation with HZDS before or after the elections.
According to the vice-chair of the Christian-Democratic Movement Milan Hort, the government spent over 30 billion SKK (nearly 1 billion USD) to the reformation of the state administration. Nevertheless, the reformation was not prospering for the local governments, and only improved the influence of the state power of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS).
Viktor Niznansky (Slovak Democratic Coalition) said, that although the government promised to decrease the number of clerks in the state administration, it's always increasing and there are currently 43,000 employees (Slovakia has about 5.3 million inhabitants). He would prefer to make the state itself control only the global resorts, such as defense, juridical power or currency politics, and to let most issues on the local governments.
The Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar went to Vienna (capital of Austria) today. He should meet his Austrian partner Viktor Klima. They should discuss mainly about the Mochovce nuclear power plant. The activists of Greenpeace are widely protesting against this new nuclear center in Slovakia.
The referendum in a central-Slovakian town Rimavska Sobota was held on Friday. The citizens had to give their opinion to the construction of a prison in the center of this town. However, as only about 15% of voters participated, the referendum was not valid, and the statement of the local government NO to the prison, is currently valid.
According to the opinion poll by the Institute for Public Affairs, there are about 66% of citizens supporting the activity for direct presidential elections, 47% of citizens support the activity against the novelization of the electoral law and "only" about 36% of the citizens support the activity for the constitutional law that would allow the chairman of the parliament to recall and name ministers of the government.
According to the Interior Ministry, there are currently 90 political subjects registered in Slovakia, of which 68 parties and 22 movements. The most recently registered (15 April) is the Free Party of Slovakia (Slobodna Strana Slovenska - SSS).
The vice-chair of the National Council and HZDS Augustin Marian Huska leads the delegation of a group of deputies of the Slovak parliament to the Great Britain. He emphasized how important it was to have good relations with this country, because it's the current chair country in the European Union. The deputies will visit the British parliament.
Pavol Delinga, the leader of a small party called New Agrarian Party challenged the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) to support the presidential candidate of HZDS (Movement for a Democratic Slovakia) Milan Secansky. Well, SDL already has its own candidate in the third round, so there's no reason to support the deputy for HZDS.
On Sunday, it was the 12th anniversary of the worst catastrophe of peaceful utilization of nuclear power, of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Chernobyl, situated near the capital of Ukraine Kiev, is only 600 km from the Eastern-Slovakia border. Until now, there were about 125 thousand casualties and there are still quite many sick new-born children.
The policemen warn the citizens from participating in the so-called "pyramidal games" where they are asked to pay an amount of money which is later given back twice, but it's necessary to find two another "players". After a short time, there are too many players, and an individual even does not get back his money... There are currently quite many people playing such games in Eastern Slovakia...
TUESDAY 28 Apr 1998
The government met today at its 163rd session. It's the first session of the new two-weeks period, since the government decided to meet only twice a month. Before the session, the government reacted to the last-week's letter of nine Slovak bishops, which strongly protested against the current steps of the government. The ministers suppose it too one-sided, polarizing the society in Slovakia. The government will react within a few days.
The Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar continues his visit to Vienna, Austria. He discussed with his Austrian partners also about the European Union, Meciar emphasized the importance that Austria will chair the European Union in the second half of this year. They also spoke about the fact, that Slovakia has the less foreign investments from all Eastern-European countries, and that the Slovak government is satisfied. "Hungary has 8-times more foreign investments, and do they live 8-times better?", Meciar asked.
The parliamentarian committee for finances met the representatives of the Slovak banks, and also the governor of the National Bank Vladimir Masar. The National Bank provided the Investment and Development Bank (IRB), who got into very serious problems last year, with over 11 billion SKK. In a few days, there will be discussions on the future of this bank, who is partially owned by the East-Slovakia Ironworks (VSZ) and the National Property Fund (FNM).
The parliamentarian committee for education, science, culture and sport discussed the current conditions of TV and radio broadcasting in the public state-owned media, such as the Slovak Television and the Slovak Radio. Mainly the last-Saturday's long direct transmissions from the Congress of HZDS in Kosice, was supposed a form of a pre-electoral campaign in the public media.
The Council of the Slovak republic for TV and Radio Broadcasting still does not suppose the entire loss of objectivity of the Slovak TV, but admits an opinion, that such campaigns should not be a part of the main TV News. The members of the Council still did not see the recording of the one-hour speech of the leader of HZDS Vladimir Meciar, so they will give their opinion in a few weeks.
Jaroslav Paska (deputy for the Slovak National Party) was surprised by the Saturday's steps of STV, and hopes STV will allow also other parties to present their opinion in such a way.
The former owner of a big car-selling company DRUKOS Frantisek Mojzis sent recently a request to the Interior Ministry for about 10 million SKK (about 300,000 USD) for the expenses for the protection of his company. Frantisek Mojzis decided to give his very successful firm to the church a few months ago, because of an extortion. The Interior Ministry did not pay the invoice, so F.Mojzis will probably continue in sending such invoices every month.
The leader of the Party for Civil Understanding (SOP) Rudolf Schuster participated at the institutional regional congress of his party in Nitra. The party wants to set up a correct electoral program, which wouldn't "promise what we cannot reach." Although the representatives of the party still did not give any special statements to any issues, the party already has over 15% of popularity.
According to the radio Twist, there are documents of the Movement for Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) from the year 1995, signed by S.Hatina and J.Kollar, proposing six enterprises which had to be privatized. Included Slovnaft (the biggest chemical factory in Bratislava), Duslo Sala, and Matador, these enterprises had to be sold for an extremely low prices to private firms, headed by these two persons. Ivan Miklos confirmed that it was an illegal form of privatization, based on interests of a narrow group of people who only need to get most of the control over the economy of the country.
WEDNESDAY 29 Apr 1998
The General Assembly of the Investment and Development Bank (IRB) decided to increase the property of IRB by 2 billion SKK (~57 million USD). The bank is owned by the National Property Fund (FNM) and the East-Slovakia Ironworks (VSZ), and due to incorrect management, the bank had to get under the obligated control by the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) last year. NBS already provided IRB with over 11 billion SKK (~300 million USD),
According to the former (1991-92) Minister of Privatization and the economic expert of the Slovak Democratic Coalition Ivan Miklos, the additional funding won't solve the current problems, and only the citizens will pay it from their money.
Two years ago, in April 1996, a car exploded in Bratislava with a young policeman Robert Remias, who was connected to the affair of kidnapping the ex-President's son Michal Kovac Jr. The inquest led to the state structures, mainly the Slovak Intelligence Service, and was supposed a political murder. Today, two years after Remias's death, the Slovak Democratic Coalition challenges the government to find the murderers and punish them correctly.
The Parliament discussed about the new electoral law in the specialized committees. Some of them already accepted the law without any important changes. The Constitutional-Law Committee member, Igor Hrusovsky (Christian Democratic Movement) proposed in the committee, that the law should be limited only to the modification of the regional administrative of Slovakia, so to the eight new regions, instead of four. Milan Secansky (HZDS) replied, that the law would be then limited "only to its envelope".
Jan Cuper (HZDS) refused the opposition arguments, that the law shouldn't be modified so shortly before the elections, because "although it's still not valid, it's well known since over two months." According to Cuper, this law is the reaction to the opposition steps, who "misused" the old law in the previous elections and referendum. Jan Cuper also accused the Constitutional Court of "being politized too much", and also accused the private media of their financial interest in propagating the political parties in the electoral campaign.
The national air-transporter Slovenske Aerolinie (Slovak Airlines) got its very first aircraft, the Russian TU-154. The Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar, together with his Minister of Communications Jan Jasovsky officially baptized this plane of an old branch, which is even not used by the Russian airlines, by the name "Puchov", after a Slovak town near Zilina. This TU-154 has been purchased from the Russian debt and will begin its regular flights on May 1st, on the line Bratislava - Moscow.
According to the information of TV Markiza, there was another young woman with the Prime Minister on the airport, which is supposed to be his new employee...
The Union of Tradesmen (KOZ) will organize a protest meeting in Bratislava on Friday. The tradesmen will request the government to present the real results of the privatization.
The Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar allowed the foreign environmental experts to unlimited checks of the nuclear power plant in Mochovce.
THURSDAY 30 Apr 1998
The Parliament met today to vote about the new Slovak President. It was the second scrutiny of the third round, so entirely the sixth attempt to choose the new inhabitant of the Presidential Palace, which is already 59 days without its President. There were two best candidates from the first scrutiny - Milan Secansky (proposed by HZDS) and Brigita Schmognerova (proposed by the Party of the Democratic Left - SDL), who got the most votes in that first scrutiny. Nevertheless, 90 votes are needed, and even Milan Secansky, the candidate of the coalition which has more than a half of the deputies, couldn't be elected for the President.
In today's election, there were 134 valid vote tickets (there are 150 deputies), Milan Secansky (HZDS) got 72 votes for, 45 votes against and 11 deputies refrained. Brigita Schmognerova (SDL) got 47 votes for, 77 votes against and 4 deputies refrained. So Slovakia is again without its President. The first scrutiny of the fourth round is announced for the Friday, 29th May.
The former vice-chair of HZDS Arpad Matejka informed, that the representatives of HZDS thought of proposing Milan Secansky and Augustin Marian Huska (the vice-chair of the Parliament and HZDS) as the candidates in the presidential elections, so it's possible that A.M.Huska would be proposed in the fourth round.
According to the leader of the Slovak National Party Jan Slota, his party will probably have its candidates soon. It should be Jozef Prokes and the Defense Minister Jan Sitek.
When leaving the Parliament, Brigita Schmognerova discovered that someone injured the tires of her car...
According to the chairman of the deputies faction of HZDS Tibor Cabaj, the new law on direct presidential election is currently "under construction" and will be proposed by the beginning of July.
Since a few years ago, there are 79 districts in Slovakia. Eight regions, and seventy-nine districts. And there are also 79 district offices, which are established by the government, so they are not the so-called "local government" (which are elected by the citizens). And according to the deputy of the Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH) Pavol Hrusovsky, all the 79 chairmen of these offices are the members (and some of them even quite top-members) of HZDS (Movement for Democratic Slovakia), which is currently the strongest governmental party.
Pavol Hrusovsky mentioned, that "HZDS did not only privatize the enterprises, but also the state administration." It's also serious regarding to the upcoming parliamentarian elections.
In the beginning of this week, the Foreign Minister Zdenka Kramplova participated at the Association Council of the European Union in Luxembourg. It was said she asked the members of the council to move Slovakia from the second to the first group of the countries - candidates for European integration. On today's press-conference of the Foreign Ministry, it was said, that she couldn't ask them to move the candidate, because this council cannot do such steps. The Minister argued, that Slovakia would be able to respect all the political requests by the end of this year.
Mikulas Dzurinda, the leader of the Slovak Democratic Coalition said (SDK): "We have the only right - to win the elections in Slovakia" on the official opening of the regional SDK headquarters in Kosice. He also criticized the governmental coalition, also because "it has no interest to elect a new President."
The Governor of the National Bank Vladimir Masar was not satisfied with the progress in the issue of the Investment and Development Bank (IRB), who recently decided to increase its property by 2 billion SKK. Nevertheless, according to the governor, it's still better than to close this bank.
According to the leader of the Christian-Democratic Movement Jan Carnogursky, there are secret materials, that prove that the aircraft-repair company in Trencin repairs also some Libyan airplanes. Libya is currently under an embargo of UN.
The Slovakia's Ambassador to Hungary Eva Mitrova already left her post in Budapest. She was the very first Slovakia's Ambassador and was one of those 28, who were recalled by the government on 03 March, when the government took certain competencies of the leaving President. The following Ambassador should be the current deputy for HZDS Arpad Tarnoczy. He still did not receive the necessary "agreement" from Hungary and therefore cannot go to Budapest.
FRIDAY 01 May 1998
It's a public holiday in Slovakia today... see you on Monday...
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