BRATISLAVA, March 7, (WEBNOVINY) — The National Security Office (NBU) is without a head. NBU head Frantisek Blanarik has tendered his resignation to Speaker of Parliament Richard Sulik on Monday morning, although his tenure expires in September 2013. “Since I refuse to become a tool of intelligence games, which aim to scandalize some people, including myself, instead of assessing the NBU results and its position in international structures, I have decided to resign from the post of NBU Director,“ Bednarik explained his reasons for resignation. The SITA news agency received information on the resignation from NBU spokeswoman Blazena Zimanova.
Blanarik’s resignation came shortly after the media revealed that based on archival documents Blanarik allegedly was reporting on his colleagues to the military counterintelligence. The rightist parties demanded his recall in parliament already in February 2009 but things remained as they are after the elections. Speaker of Parliament and SaS Chairman Richard Sulik to whose party the post belongs according to the Coalition Agreement initially stood by Blanarik considering him the right man for the post but later he said he would turn to the parliamentary committee overseeing the NBU activities to decide whether NBU head Frantisek Blanarik holds the post in line with the law.
“I respect Mr. Blanarik’s decision and we will soon present our nominee for the post of NBU Director,” said Sulik in reaction to the resignation. Sulik emphasized the importance of his party being without people with communist past and communist secret service collaborators when he was establishing SaS. Nevertheless, he left Blanarik in the post of NBU head because he considered him an expert and did not find his replacement necessary.
Interior Minister and KDH Vice Chairman Daniel Lipsic claims that it is necessary and very important to find such a head of the National Security Office, who will be indubitable in terms of his professional qualities and his past.
Prime Minister Iveta Radicova said that the issue of a new NBU director will be a subject of talks of coalition partners. “Prime Minster Iveta Radicova has acknowledged resignation of Mr. Blanarik,” said PM spokesman Rado Bato.
Member of the parliamentary committee supervising NBU activities Marek Vagovcak (SDKU-DS) welcomes the decision of NBU Director Frantisek Blanarik because, as he said, communist secret service collaborators should not serve as state officials. “Selection of a new director should be transparent and selection terms should prevent similar faux pas,” Vagovcak said for the SITA news agency.
MP Tatiana Rosova (SDKU-DS) opines that Blanarik’s resignation is belated but positive news. “A person suspected of informing on his colleagues and deliberately cooperating with the communist secret service can in no case serve in such an important post like NBU Director.
Frantisek Blanarik was granted a top secret clearance in 2005 and then again in April 2006. People who have cooperated with communist secret services cannot be granted such clearance, emphasized NBU spokeswoman Zimanova. Blanarik was granted the clearance by NBU led by his predecessor Aurel Ugor (ANO nominee). Blanarik also received a NATO certificate authorizing him to handle alliance’s classified information in 2006. The then Minister of Defense Martin Fedor (SDKU) appointed him a military attaché in Ukraine in 2006. After elections in 2006, parliament elected him (as a HZDS nominee) a NBU Director.
SITA