BRATISLAVA, November 9, (WEBNOVINY) — The Slovak Parliamentary should hold an extraordinary session to discuss the current situation in the judiciary. Three opposition parties, SDKU-DS, KDH and MOST-HID are suggesting this in their request they delivered on Friday to convene the session.
„We are motivated by the fact that the judicial system in Slovakia for long enjoys a low level of public confidence and last month the Slovak public was repeatedly confronted with information that further exacerbated this distrust,“ Lucia Zitnanska of SDKU-DS told media. She mentioned as an example the outcome of a legal dispute between former President Michal Kovac and former intelligence service SIS director Ivan Lexa, in which the court ruled that Kovac must apologize to Lexa [for his statements linking the abduction of his son to Austria to the SIS under Lexa – SITA note]. This case and others like it according to Zitnanska reinforce feelings in the public that judicial justice works only for a select few, and ultimately reduces public confidence in the judicial system and the rule of law. According to the opposition politicians, for more than six months after the elections the government has done nothing to improve the situation in the judiciary.
KDH faction chief Pavol Hrusovsky suggests that parliament could use this occasion to return again and „create the possibility to adopt a constitutional law that we would abolish the amnesties [granted by Vladimir Meciar as acting president for all actions linked with the abduction of Michal Kovac Jr. to Austria – SITA note]“. According Hrusovsky, this is not about revenge, but an effort to uncover the face of past Slovak politics so that future generations do not have to „be ashamed for us.“
Gabor Gal of MOST-HID claims that justice does not function in Slovakia. Instead, there is cronyism, corruption, and arbitrary judicial decisions. Justice should be blind, but according to Gal, some in Slovakia have adapted it for themselves so that „it just winks“ at them.
The three opposition parties want the Slovak Parliament to adopt a resolution that will express concern regarding the deepening state and further deterioration of credibility of the judiciary. It should also request the Cabinet to submit a report on measures that should improve credibility of the judiciary.
SITA