BRATISLAVA, December 3, (WEBNOVINY) – The Parliament will continue debating the draft budget for next year on Tuesday. Pavol Hrusovky (KDH) who presided the session interrupted it after opposition deputy for the SMER-SD Branislav Ondrus delivered his propositions shortly before 4 p.m. Parliament reconvenes Tuesday 9 a.m., when signed up deputies will present their opinions. As of now, six deputies who signed up in a written form are yet to take the floor in the budget-focused debate and then lawmakers will be able to apply for participation in the discussion verbally. The debate on Tuesday should start with OKS deputy (elected on the MOST-HID slate) Peter Zajac.
On Friday, only few deputies were present in the parliamentary debate. Finance Minister Ivan Miklos, whose department elaborated the draft, was the only Cabinet member to attend the debate. Chairman of the largest opposition party SMER-SD Robert Fico proposed to interrupt the session, until the absent Cabinet members would come. Nonetheless, due to low attendance, the plenum was not quorate, which means his proposal could not have been passed.
Opposition deputies took turns at the lectern. They criticized the draft budget as a whole, as well as individual chapters. They also submitted several proposals for changes. Marian Zahumensky for SMER-SD suggested reallocating EUR 50 million from the Defense Ministry to the Agriculture Ministry, his party mate Lubomir Vazny proposed to use the volume for first category roads. Deputy Branislav Ondrus suggested increasing the volume for orphanages and some social benefits as well.
SITA