The liberal Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party will back an initiative by the co-governing Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) that calls for the adoption of a parliamentary declaration against violence and persecution against Christians around the world, but it also wants to discuss the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, SaS MP Martin Poliačik said at the start of a parliamentary session on Tuesday, March 29.
"Being a liberal and a humanist, I won't hesitate to support any resolution against personal violence. I couldn't ignore one thing – that all of a sudden a particular group of people needs extra protection and that this goes beyond our borders. But there are groups of people fighting for their rights also in Slovakia," he said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, at the same time pointing to punishments that are inflicted on homosexuals in certain countries.
Although the government manifesto refers to equal status for homosexuals in society, KDH is partly to blame for the fact that a projected committee on the rights of LGBT people didn't come into being, Poliačik said.
KDH MP Julius Brocka called Poliačik's comments "absolutely out of place". To associate what he called "genocide" against Christians with the rights of LGBT people is, at the very least, improper, he stated. Martin Pado of the co-governing Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) and independent MP Igor Matovič weren't impressed by Poliačik's call either.
KDH's proposal for the declaration has been signed by all 14 of the party's MPs and is due to be discussed by parliament this week. The declaration calls on the supreme constitutional bodies in Slovakia and the Slovak Government to use all available and legitimate diplomatic, economic and other tools in order to promote religious freedoms in countries where they are currently being violated.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
