BRATISLAVA, October 15, (WEBNOVINY)- Deputy chairmen of parliamentary parties are not unified on what cabinet should lead Slovakia until early election in March. According to Deputy Chairman of the strongest opposition party SMER-SD Marek Madaric the cabinet for the period remaining until the March race should have a very narrow mandate and should decide on no major changes including reforms or only on those that are inevitable for the country. Madaric specified in the Saturday Dialogues program on Slovak Radio that neither a caretaker cabinet nor any new, reconstructed cabinet would be good for Slovakia.
SDKU-DS Deputy Chairwoman Lucia Zitnanska underscored that several possibilities are constitutionally acceptable including authorizing the so far cabinet to lead the country or appointing a new one. She said that Iveta Radicova’s interest or disinterest in being the prime minister until early elections is about responsibility She underscored that the president is free to opt for a solution that will secure stability of Slovakia until March.
SNS Deputy Chairman Rafael Rafaj said that of core importance is the decision of the president who put it clearly that the current Cabinet has finished. He underscored that parliamentary parties have on the table the budget that is the main tool of the country’s stability. He thinks that the parties that failed do not have a mandate to continue and therefore a caretaker cabinet would be the most reasonable solution. SaS Deputy Chairman Juraj Miskov says that his party sees any reason why they should support the Cabinet formed by three remaining coalition parties until March.
MOST-HID wants, said its Deputy Chairman Zsolt Simon that the president-adopted solution was about stability and responsibility. The cabinet has to decide for example about Euro-funds until March; it cannot be absolutely inactive. However, it is clear that there is not majority in parliament, as majority supported early elections. Nevertheless, if parliamentary parties agree on passing the budget the next cabinet can annul it on April 1 2011. KDH Deputy Chairman Pavol Abrhan finds stability very important and therefore his movement will attempt to find an agreement on passing the state budget for next year.
The president decided to convene a meeting with all leaders of parliamentary parties for Monday, October 17, to agree upon next steps. “Whether someone will be able to form a cabinet that should naturally have majority support in parliament, or whether they will agree on a minority cabinet. Otherwise, the next potential step is for me to appoint a caretaker cabinet myself,” President Gasparovic added.
SITA