BRATISLAVA, February 10, (WEBNOVINY) – Igor Matovic, the leader of the Ordinary People faction operating in the SaS deputy club has been expelled from the SaS parliamentary caucus, announced head of the SaS deputy caucus Jozef Kollar and SaS leader Richard Sulik this Thursday. The reason was that Matovic voted with the opposition on an amending proposal to change the coalition’s draft amendment to the law on state citizenship. The SaS caucus however is not going to oust the remaining three deputies of the Ordinary People faction.
“We don’t think that someone, who votes together with SMER on such an important issue, should be a member of our caucus. I personally gave the proposal, I’m glad that the caucus upheld it and Mr. Matovic is now an independent MP,” explained Sulik. He added that the citizenship law had been discussed for several months and only two weeks before the decisive parliamentary session the Ordinary People came up with their objections. “We coped with it bravely, but everything ends some time,” said Sulik. The parliamentary speaker said he understands the decision of MOST-HID not to vote for any law, until the situation is settled. “I can understand this is important for them,” he stated.
Sulik also thinks that principles are important and it is better to have one MP less in the caucus, than to have an MP who votes at odds with the Coalition Treaty. “We are a club of decent people with unsullied reputation and we share Mr. Matovic’s opinion, that Mr. Fico is a vagabond. If Igor Matovic has no problem to vote together with him, it’s his decision. It is a problem for us to vote with him and we also consider it a problem, if a person, who does not have such problem, was among us,” stated Sulik.
Whether Matovic will continue supporting the coalition, is a question that Matovic himself should answer, said Sulik. He however thinks that the other Ordinary People MPs are still bound by a commitment to return the parliamentary mandate in the case they leave the caucus. Matovic however is not affected by the agreement, as he did not leave voluntarily, Sulik explained.
“We remain in the SaS caucus, will continue supporting the government program and also enforce the theses of the Ordinary People, on the basis of which voters voted for us to enter the Parliament,” Jozef Viskupic of the ordinary people faction told the media. As he further explained, two votes took place in the SaS caucus session: One was on the proposal of Richard Sulik, as the party chairman, where the members voted for Matovic’s expulsion. The second vote was on Viskupovic’s proposal on expelling the other three Ordinary People MPs. However, the caucus did not support their expulsion. Viskupic added that Igor Matovic had said he would continue supporting the coalition.
SITA