BRATISLAVA, September 16, (WEBNOVINY) — Representatives of the Roma Union of Slovakia (URS), one of many organizations which represent Slovak Roma minority, repeated its call at Thursday’s news briefing for the dismissal of Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities Miroslav Pollak. They said they have their own candidate for this post , but they did not want to disclose any concrete name yet.
They blame Pollak of a lack of any concept and his own systemic solution, thus for them he is unacceptable. The Government Plenipotentiary Pollak said for SITA news agency that he will not respond to this appeal. He regrets that the representatives of the Roma Union did not use the possibility to meet him personally and discuss existing problems. The leader of the Roma Union of Slovakia, Frantisek Tanko has ruled out today the possibility of meeting with Pollak.
According to Tanko, the government too is avoiding solutions of Roma issues, as it “absolutely ignores and does not deal with Roma issues,” thereby it deepens the whole complicated situation of Slovak Roma. If the situation does not change, according to Roma Union and organizations which Tanko represents, mass demonstrations and plundering by the Roma may be the result. He specified that there was some talk of demonstrations in the Roma settlement Lunik IX in Kosice (eastern Slovakia). “We do not want to demonstrate. We are forced into it by those losers,” said Tanko.
If the government decides to introduce e-pay cards for shopping, through which members of the Roma community would receive social benefits, according to Roma Union, their emigration to France and other countries of western Europe is possible. They also referred to alleged misuse of EU funds earmarked for solving of Roma issues. They think that a committee to control drawing should be created from representatives of Roma civil associations.
According to the Roma Union, in addition to dismissal of Pollak the situation may change if the government starts communicating with Roma organizations and create an advisory body whose members would be responsible for particular locations in Slovakia.
SITA