BRATISLAVA, October 8, (WEBNOVINY)- Chairman of the ruling party MOST-HID Bela Bugar said in reaction to the decision of Transport Ministry State Secretary Ivan Svejna, a member of his party to resign that it was a “decent and responsible move”. “His step is a precedent. I believe that his decision will contribute to the calming of the situation. I am happy that we have such a responsible politician in the party. We owe him great thanks for it,” he added. Bugar has already announced Svejna’s decision to Prime Minister Iveta Radicova. Svejna’s boss, Transport Minister Jan Figel will present a proposal to recall him at the next Cabinet’s sitting.
The party SaS does not know why Svejna decided to abdicate. Secretary of Speaker of Parliament and SaS leader Richard Sulik, Tatiana Tothova said that Svejna had consulted his step neither with the SaS nor with Economy Ministry State Secretary Martin Chren of this party who faces criticism in the same case. “Maybe he has other reasons, maybe he only yielded to media pressure,” she said adding that the party continues to side with Chren. “Martin Chren explained in detail the background of the events and we do not see any reason for his resignation,” Tothova added. She suggested that the result of the Supreme Audit Office’s examination will be crucial for making the final political decisions.
Prime Minister Iveta Radicova will support Figel’s proposal for recall of State Secretary Ivan Svejna. “As the prime minister I will accept the proposal of the Transport Ministry at the Cabinet’s session for exchange of the state secretary based on the personal decision of Ivan Svejna and the decision of the party Most-Hid. The current government sees higher political culture as one of its most crucial priorities. Therefore I understand the decision of Ivan Svejna to give up the post,” the prime minister writes in its stance provided to SITA by the Cabinet Office’s press department.
Ivan Svejna, a former co-owner of the company Hayek Consulting is leaving over the scandal associated with the firm he had co-owned once. Svejna is returning to parliament, where he will be a member of the finance committee. The scandal surfaced following media reports that the company co-owned by Svejna and State Secretary of the Economy Ministry Martin Chren of the SaS earned on tenders announced by the Finance Ministry in the past election term. It is believed that in allegedly fictitious tenders friendly companies competed with Hayek Consulting. Moreover, the company has accepted a state order at the time when both of them already held their positions in the new cabinet.
“I have been considering this decision for long. I resign on my own request”, Svejna told journalists on Friday. He explained that the main reason behind his decision is unprecedented and inappropriate pressure exerted on the F.A .Hayek Foundation. Another co-owner of Hayek Consulting at that time, the current Economy Ministry State Secretary Martin Chren (SaS) refuses to step down.
Prime Minister Iveta Radicova has decided to not recall for now the state secretaries. According to Radicova, her coalition partners agree with her that there are doubts here but they do not assess the situation around Hayek Consulting as a reason for stepping down or recalling the state secretaries. The Supreme Audit Office controlled by the opposition nominee Jan Jasovsky is to inspect the allegedly fictitious competition in the case involving the firm Hayek Consulting and two state secretaries appointed by the current governing coalition. The authority will be obliged to put this matter on its agenda after parliament adopts the respective resolution. The office carries out inspections regarding the use of all finances within the state budget but the question whether it is also able to examine a fake competition will be known only after the parliament charges it with investigation.
SITA