BRATISLAVA, November 14, (WEBNOVINY) — President Ivan Gasparovic is convinced that Defense Minister Lubomir Galko and Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Lubomir Bulik cannot revoke their original agreement according to which Bulik should quit his office before his term ends. “The president is convinced that once the defense minister together with the Armed Forces chief of staff publicly announced his departure, it is impossible to take back such decision any more,” informed Gasparovic’s spokesman Marek Trubac.
Last Friday, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that Galko is negotiating with president Gasparovic, who also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as with Bulik on the current situation. Bulik still insists upon leaving his office after Minister Galko withdrew the proposal for his removal submitted to the Cabinet.
Bulik and Galko originally agreed that Bulik would leave the Armed Forces as of November 30. The official reason was that Galko wanted the ‘remodeled’ Armed Forces to be managed by a new chief of staff. However, after the government collapsed in the eurozone bailout vote, Galko withdrew the proposal for Bulik’s recall from the Cabinet session. Galko then informed that the reason is it was not clear whether the future minister will want to reform the Armed Forces in accordance to the original plan. Bulik insisted on leaving his office, yet he informed he is aware of his responsibility for the stability of the Armed Forces and would therefore consult his eventual leaving or staying in office with the new defense minister. Bulik has held the office since December 2004 and his second term would end in a year.
SITA