BRATISLAVA, December 20, (WEBNOVINY) — President Ivan Gasparovic has vetoed and returned to parliament the revision of the law on remuneration of some constitutional representatives, intended to freeze next year’s salaries of MPs, Cabinet ministers and the head of state at 2011 levels. Gasparovic disagrees with the provision stipulating that deputies shall be entitled to wage as of the day of their election. He argues that the entitlement to salary shall arise on the day when the MPs take oath, as it is now. The head of state admitted that rights and duties arise for lawmakers as of the date of election, based on the law on legislators. However, MPs take up their mandates by taking oath as stipulated in the law on the parliamentary standing order. Gasparovic suggests that the parliament revise the norm so that the MPs are entitled to a salary no sooner than taking their oath of office.
Since the pay freeze was to take effect as of January 1, 2012, Speaker of Parliament Pavol Hrusovsky (KDH) has convened an unscheduled session for Wednesday, December 21, 2011. Besides the pay freeze, deputies will also vote upon the fate of the revision of Social Services Act.
The parliament agreed to freeze salaries on December 1. The measure was to apply to MPs, Cabinet members, the head of state, the chairman and deputy chairmen of the Supreme Audit Office, the prosecutor general, defender of public rights, heads of central bodies of the state administration and state employees in public offices. Judges were exempt from the legislation.
SITA