BRATISLAVA, January 31, (WEBNOVINY) — Abolition of immunity of MPs for minor offenses remains in the agenda of the 28th parliamentary session as the plenum did not supported on Tuesday the proposal of Deputy Robert Madej (SMER-SD) to withdraw all deputy draft bills from the program. The draft of Jozef Viskupic (Ordinary People) to discuss immunity right at the beginning of the session was not accepted either. Apart from immunity, the program also contains a proposal to cancel amnesties of Vladimir Meciar, which he granted as acting president in 1998 and thus made it impossible to investigate the abduction of Michal Kovac Jr. to Austria, and an amendment of Ludovit Kanik (SDKU-DS) to restrict benefits for non-working parents.
Madej was also unsuccessful with his proposal that parliament should not elect new members of the Judicial Council. He reminded that newly elected members would have a mandate as of May while the term of the current parliament ends in March. “It is a scandalous proposal,” he remarked. SNS Chairman Jan Slota suggested that no personal changes would be put to the vote, however, he did not succeed either. SaS leader Richard Sulik was unable to push through his idea to ask President Ivan Gasparovic to explain in the plenum why he rejects to appoint duly elected candidate for prosecutor general Jozef Centes.
The program thus still contains all points as suggested by Speaker of Parliament Pavol Hrusovsky (KDH), the only exception are two draft bills that were withdrawn by their authors. The program still has draft bills in the first reading, which parliament, however, will not have time to approve due to the early elections in March. But they can be discarded later during the session.
Ex-SNS deputy Anna Belousovova asked for a statement of parliament towards filing a criminal motion on organizers of the protest against the Gorilla graft case. Igor Matovic (Ordinary People) wanted that parliament would oblige the Speaker of Parliament Hrusovsky to file a criminal motion on people who „robbed Slovakia.“ Hrusovsky afterwards informed both of them that parliament had not filed any criminal motions. Neither Belousovova nor Matovic succeeded with their proposals.
MPs are discussing the draft amendment to the law on social services which President Gasparovic vetoed and returned to parliament. Critics labeled the draft bill retroactive.
SITA