BRATISLAVA, November 21, (WEBNOVINY) – A draft to limit deputy immunity from prosecution in case of transgressions should be submitted to Parliament after the New Year. It will be submitted by representatives of four coalition partners and the Parliament should deal with it it at its first session in 2011, scheduled to begin February 1.
A preliminary version of the draft has already been elaborated and deputy factions will discuss it first. Chairman of the Parliamentary Constitutional and Judicial Committee Radoslav Prochazka (KDH) confirmed for SITA news agency that the coalition will try to narrow the immunity from prosecution in case of minor offenses to a minimum. Lawmakers would thus not be able to avoid paying fines for traffic offenses, as it is now. Tatiana Tothova, Secretary of the Speaker of Parliament explained that deputies will submit the draft legal norm to the Parliament and not he Cabinet, as this issue directly concerns parliamentary deputies.
The four-member ruling coalition SDKU-DS, SaS, KDH and MOST-HID is aiming at limiting deputy immunity from prosecution for minor offenses after the Parliament in October rejected the draft constitutional bill to limit their immunity from prosecution also in case of criminal cases, just to statements made in parliament. All deputies for the ruling coalition quartet, SDKU-DS, SaS, KDH and MOST-HID, supported the legislation along with SNS representatives Anna Belousovova and Rudolf Pucik. The strongest opposition party SMER-SD and the remaining SNS lawmakers voted down the bill. The coalition needed ninety votes to push the norm through. Regarding immunity in case of transgressions, a constitutional majority will not be needed, which means the coalition has enough votes to push it through.
SITA