BRATISLAVA, November 30, (WEBNOVINY) — Parliamentary deputies opened the last session of the Slovak Parliament this year with a minute of silence to honor the memory of the prominent lawyer and ex-president of the federal Constitutional Court Ernest Valko who was shot dead earlier this month and also for all victims of violence.
Parliament then voted to postpone the amendment to the state citizenship law until the February session, as deputies for the ruling coalition from SDKU-DS, SaS and MOST-HID proposed. The first point on the agenda of this session of the Slovak Parliament is a draft bill on the Radio and Television of Slovakia, which merges public service Slovak Television and Slovak Radio into a single public broadcaster. Culture Minister Daniel Krajcer introduced the draft in the second reading.
In December, the MPs will deal with the most important law of the year: the 2011 state budget. The Cabinet estimates a 3.8 billion euro deficit. Budget revenues are planned at 13.1 billion euro and expenses 16.9 billion euro. The general government deficit, which in addition to the state administration also includes the budgets of health insurance companies, universities, municipal administration and the Social Insurance Agency should reach 4.9 percent GDP in 2011. The Cabinet’s 2011 state budget draft and the draft of general government budget for the years 2010-2013 will be discussed in parliament without being approved in advance by social partners
The assembly will also decide on the government’s consolidation package — economic amendments connected to the budget and changes of the excise tax on tobacco, beer or mineral oils. An amendment to the law on social insurance, changing the system of pension valorization is also waiting for an approval. The amount paid as parental benefit will also change, it should be unified to 190 euro per month. The MPs will vote on reducing their salaries as well.
Parliament will again try to elect a new prosecutor general. The term of Dobroslav Trnka, the incumbent Prosecutor General will be over at the beginning of 2011. Except him, the Prosecutor Jozef Centes, nominated by all four ruling coalition parties, is a candidate in the election to take place on December 2. The deputies will also hold a secret ballot on the candidates for judges of the Disciplinary Court.
The draft amendment to the Civil Code, according to which all contracts dealing with public funds will have to be published on-line to be valid, is also waiting for approval. The assembly will discuss the draft amendment to the law on judges and associate judges which aims to open the judiciary to public supervision. Parliament will discuss an amendment to the law on the Judicial Council, which President Ivan Gasparovic vetoed.
Deputies will also have to assess the draft amendment to the law on firearms, inspired by the tragic events that took place in Devinska Nova Ves in August. A vote on sending Slovak troops to Afghanistan is also expected. Their number should increase by fifty. The draft amendment to the Labor Code is also on the parliamentary agenda in December.
SITA