WITH A SURPRISING majority of 101 votes, the Slovak parliament yesterday approved a proposal put forward by MP Zoltán Horváth of the ruling Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) to abolish the State Service Office (ÚŠS).
The ÚŠS was established just four years ago by the previous Mikuláš Dzurida government to recruit and train state employees. The current government argued, however, that the ÚŠS was inflexible and had actually slowed the recruitment process.
Opposition MPs also backed Horváth’s proposal. The ÚŠS should be shut down as of June 1, 2006, provided that Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič signs the respective law, Pravda daily wrote.
The ÚŠS, as well as some observers, argue that the real motive for the vote is the government’s desire to regain power over nominations to state bodies.
Compiled by Martina Jurinová from press reports
The
Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
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