BRATISLAVA, March 26, (WEBNOVINY) – The ruling coalition member, the Freedom and Solidarity Party (SaS) is holding the third party congress on Saturday, March 26. SaS general manager Jana Kissova told SITA news agency that all currently 269 party members are delegates at the national congress. The party invited to the congress Prime Minister Iveta Radicova, as well as representatives of its coalition partners the KDH, MOST-HID, and SDKU-DS.
At the congress, the prime minister criticized the ruling coalition for insufficiently communicating with the public, while communication focuses more on internal discussions than achieved results. “Let us debate, quarrel, even passionately. Let us look for solutions, but announce common agreements and decisions. We do not need an intermediator in the form of the media for our conversations,” she stated. Radicova believes it is necessary to explain to the people in connection with the bailout fund that if we do not resolve common problems, we will not resolve ours, either.
The prime minister reminded the delegates that the coalition has commitments to the citizens. “We committed to improve the people’s quality of living in the government’s program statement. We are together responsible for the resolution. The path is joint responsibility and cooperation,” she commented.
The current government does not represent a rule of one party, the prime minister continued. “That belongs to the past. We do not hide discussions. They, however, are meaningful only if they are conducted within trust and responsibility. Playing in one’s own political sand is a chance for critics and opponents. There are also disagreements between us, but let us not make the citizens concerned over them. Let us not give an opportunity to opponents to spread half truths. Let us talk, debate,” Radicova called on her coalition partners.
SaS leader Richard Sulik reminded the delegates of the party’s history. He presented the idea to establish his own party on August 21, 2008. In January 2009, they collected 10,000 signatures required for the party’s registration. The founding congress was held on March 28, 2009, in which 100 members took part. Today, SaS has 269 members. Their average age is 28, while eighty percent have university education.
Deputy leader of the SDKU-DS party Ivan Miklos stressed at the congress that he considers the SaS a reliable partner in pushing forward changes that are not always easy, but necessary. He expressed a wish that as the center-right parties pushed Vladimir Meciar into isolation in the past, they could manage to do so with Robert Fico, too. “It is important for the coalition to be cohesive, in order to implement the necessary changes,” he stressed.
MOST-HID chairman Bela Bugar commented that working within a coalition is an art, so that its members learn to push their opinions through without the partners losing their faces. “The aim in the coalition is not to stick out, but cooperate in order for the whole coalition to be successful. We can be successful only together,” he added.
Leader of the OKS party (elected to parliament on the MOST-HID candidate list) Peter Zajac warned the delegates that opposition leader Robert Fico and his party SMER-SD are showing a pretty face today, while the face in reality is terrifying and ugly.
Vice President of the ELDR party Dick Roche is taking part at the congress, too. KDH representatives are absent, as they have a meeting of the party council in Cadca, northern Slovakia.
SITA