BRATISLAVA, December 28, (WEBNOVINY) — Once again President Ivan Gasparovic refused to sign into law the revised bill on remuneration of some constitutional representatives. “The Slovak Parliament did not accept the president’s objections and adopted the draft in its original version,” explains his spokesman Marek Trubac the president’s decision.
On December 21, the parliament repeatedly adopted the draft which the president vetoed earlier with all 134 MPs present supporting it and thus breaking the veto. Therefore, the salaries of deputies, members of the Cabinet and the president will not rise in 2012 as they regularly should every year. The parliament ignored Gasparovic’s comment to the law: according to the amended version, MPs will be entitled to a salary as of the day of their election. The president wants to return to the old provision entitling MPs to salary as of day they take the oath. Only seven MPs supported this proposal.
After vetoing the amendment, President Gasparovic argued that according to the parliamentary rules of procedure an MP assumes his office with taking an oath of office and should lose his mandate if he refuses the oath. Yet, according to SMER-SD MP Miroslav Ciz, an MP’s mandate is constituted with being elected and the first month after the election is the period of most intensive work being done.
Chairman and deputy chairmen of the Supreme Audit Office, the prosecutor general, ombudsman, heads of central bodies of state administration and state employees in public offices are to have their salaries also frozen in 2012. Payments for MPs’ assistants and their offices will not be increased either. On the other hand, judges were exempt from the legislation.
SITA