Thousands demand stop to corruption in front of parliament

A FEW thousand of people rallied with candles in hand in front of parliament on November 25 as part of the third demonstration against corruption in health care organised by opposition leaders.

A FEW thousand of people rallied with candles in hand in front of parliament on November 25 as part of the third demonstration against corruption in health care organised by opposition leaders.

“The time has come to warn people in power that enough is enough,” said one of protest organisers and independent MP Alojz Hlina, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

The protesters at the anti-corruption rally organized by Hlina, Daniel Lipšic of Nova, Richard Sulík of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and Igor Matovič of Ordinary People and Independent Personalities party (OĽaNO) formed a cordon that was some 300 metres long when marching from the SNP Square towards the building of parliament, the Sme daily reported.

The protesters demand the ban of shell companies in tenders, recall of head of the Health Ministry’s Office Martin Senčák, and director of the Piešťany Hospital Mária Domčeková over the CT scanner case. Further they want to the adoption of a law on material responsibility of public functionaries and creating of commission supervising the investigation of the Gorilla case (an alleged corruption scandal that was leaked to the internet and the media in late December 2011).

They also call for the end of political nominations in health care and the election of the Supreme Audit Office head proposed by the opposition. Moreover, they urged Prime Minister Robert Fico to step down, according to Sme.

Aside from a number of opposition lawmakers, actors also delivered speeches. According to actor Richard Stanke, the departure of Pavol Paška from the post of Parliamentary Chairman due to overpriced CT scanner scandal is not the end, as Stanke is calling for Paška to be criminally prosecuted.

Ice hockey player Michal Handzuš and Zuzana Melicherčíková, decorated with White Crow corruption whistleblower award, addressed the crowd as well.

“I thank you for not being indifferent to democracy, for which thousands of people died,” priest Anton Srholec told the crowd, as quoted by TASR and called upon all people with good will to unite. “We won’t be silent, we’ll speak our minds.”

Source: TASR, Sme

Compiled by Roman Cuprik from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.

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