BRATISLAVA, December 5, (WEBNOVINY) – The strongest opposition party SMER-SD perceives any control mechanisms used by coalition parties in the secret election of the prosecutor general – whether taking pictures of ballots or entering the voting room in pairs – as gross violations of the law. If the coalition deputies again apply these means in the election scheduled for Tuesday, SMER-SD will use the Article 32 of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, which stipulates that the citizens have right to resist anyone who would abolish the democratic order of human rights and freedoms set in the Constitution, or if the activities of constitutional authorities and the effective application of legal means are restrained. Party leader Robert Fico has indicated that SMER-SD could withdraw its scrutators that observe the voting or apply other obstructions to incapacitate the Slovak Parliament.
The former prime minister sees no problem in the plan to combine the election of the prosecutor general with the vote of confidence in the government, as mentioned by KDH leader Jan Figel on Saturday. However, Fico maintains that the election must be secret and free of any control mechanisms. The Deputy Speaker of the Slovak Parliament reiterated that he was resolutely against changing the election from secret to public voting.
Fico summoned journalists on Sunday to respond to Prime Minister Iveta Radicova who presented her opinions on TV Markiza, where she confirmed her intention to step down if the joint candidate of the coalition parties fails in the election of the prosecutor general. Fico considers her statement extortion, adding that once she decided to lead „a conglomerate“, she should start ruling at last.
SITA