BRATISLAVA, November 28 (WEBNOVINY) — Prime Minister Iveta Radicova is taking over the Defense Ministry after authorization to serve as Defense Minister has been withdrawn from Lubomir Galko (SaS) last week. The Prime Minister and President Ivan Gasparovic agreed on Friday that Iveta Radicova would temporarily formally take over the ministry. The president does not wish Galko to continue showing up at the ministry. Galko denies that he continues running the ministry after he was dismissed from the post of Defense Minister following the Cabinet session last Wednesday. Galko said that he and the Prime Minster agreed that it would take him a little longer to hand over department’s agenda.
“I have not signed any document since last Wednesday. Everything has been signed by the state secretary,” said Galko on TV Markiza on Sunday. He also refused having looked into confidential affairs although he held a press briefing last Friday regarding a senior officer of the Military Counterintelligence Service (VOS), who refused to undergo a polygraph test. This allegedly proves he was responsible for the leak of confidential papers.
President Ivan Gasparovic admitted on Friday that some problems had emerged in connection with selection of a minister that would run the Defense Ministry after Lubomir Galko. Gasparovic has not decided on his successor yet even after meeting with the Prime Minister despite having two alternatives for the authorization at hand. According to information available to SITA news agency, the president offered Transport Minister Jan Figel (KDH) to run the Defense Ministry, who declined. Talks on the new minister will continue on Monday.
SITA