BRATISLAVA, March 23, (WEBNOVINY) – Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska (SDKU-DS) stated in parliament on Wednesday that not respecting a prosecutor general elected in a public vote would be an outrageous disregard for democratic rules. She responded to opposition leader Robert Fico (SMER-SD) who has announced that his party would not acknowledge a prosecutor general picked in the public vote in parliament if it becomes a ruling party next election term. Zitnanska says that Fico is blackmailing and threatening.
The justice minister claims that a public vote in parliamentary democracy is an instrument for controlling deputies how they use the mandate they got from their voters. “Therefore I consider an open vote an absolutely democratic tool and it is up to the deputies whether they will opt for an open or secret vote,” she said. Zitnanska added that a public vote is forbidden only in instances stipulated by the Constitution.
On Tuesday, SMER-SD leader Robert Fico criticized the planned public election of prosecutor general, which he believes to be undemocratic. If his party becomes a part of the future government, it will not respect a prosecutor general elected in a public vote, Fico let himself be heard.
On Wednesday, lawmakers approved in the first reading Zitnanska’s draft amendment to the prosecution law, which is to introduce public contests for prosecutor posts and increase the transparency of the prosecution’s decision-making. The objection of acting head of the Prosecution General’s Office, First Deputy Prosecutor General Ladislav Tichy that the piece of legislation may end up before the Constitutional Court, is only natural, the minister commented. “Mr. first deputy is a part of the existing prosecution system and that represents an enclosed system today, where prosecutors decide about themselves in a way and no such enclosed system willingly opens itself to the public scrutiny,” she commented. The justice minister, however, believes that the draft amendment to the prosecution law respects the Constitution. “Every time I submit draft laws I have to make sure I have enough arguments to be able to defend them before the Constitutional Court, too,” she remarked.
Deputies will debate the amendment to the law on the parliamentary rules of procedure, which is to enable an open vote on the new prosecutor general, in the second reading during the ongoing parliamentary session.
SITA