BRATISLAVA, October 6, (WEBNOVINY) — „I have to be either very unsympathetic to him or he is looking for any excuse so that we would not talk about this topic,“ Prime Minister Iveta Radicova reacted on Wednesday to steps of the opposition SMER-SD leader Robert Fico, who called off their agreed meeting about cancellation of parliamentary immunity.
„I cannot see any reason why I should not inform the public that we will meet. There was no agreement that we will not inform about the meeting – because it is being held. The second thing is about the results of the meeting. We have clearly agreed that we will not inform about the results of the meeting. But because the meeting will not be held, there will be no results either,“ explained Radicova.
Both politicians agreed to meet some time ago and Radicova confirmed it for SITA on Tuesday. According to information available to the news agency, Fico did not want journalists to inform of results of their debate.
It is not the first time when Fico did not come to an agreed-upon meeting. After the elections, he called off at the last moment his participation at a meeting about European Financial Stability Facility, which was organized by President Ivan Gasparovic, who invited both Radicova and Fico. Radicova as a future Prime Minister came at that time to the meeting with the president.
Limiting parliamentary immunity is one of the objectives of the incumbent government. The governing coalition has enough votes to enact limitation of immunity from prosecution for minor offenses, but they need a constitutional majority in parliament to restrict the immunity to apply only to statements made in parliament; however, without the support of the opposition, the coalition does not have the necessary votes. “Anyway, we will table a proposal to cancel immunity from prosecution in case of transgressions, because for this simple majority is enough; we will talk about the immunity in criminal cases, and our concept is clear,” Radicova stated last week.
Radicova also announced last week that she has a clear outline of immunity, adding that she would try to seek common ground with Fico. The prime minister agreed to SMER’s request for a joint proposal of the coalition and opposition. “Of course, I back this, since it requires a constitutional majority, though not at any cost,” she said. The principal position on how to curb immunity must remain untouched, according to her. The prime minister reminded that SMER-SD confirmed preparedness to debate deputy immunity but not that of judges.
SITA
