Gov replaces appointee for Roma minority

THE SLOVAK cabinet replaced its appointee for the Roma minority, Klára Orgovánová, with Anna Botošová, daughter of renowned Roma violin player Ján Berky Mrenica, on June 20.

Deputy PM for the Knowledge-Based Society, European Affairs, Human Rights and Minorities Dušan Čaplovic said that Orgovánová had not been cooperative, the SITA news wire wrote. She was unwilling to support the government's priorities in its Roma policy, he said.

The post should be held by someone loyal to the government, said Čaplovic, adding that Orgovánová focused mainly on building new housing for Roma while he wants focus more on education, employment, and healthcare.

Čaplovič also said he is against building "ghettos" for Roma and supports integrating Roma into the rest of the population.

Orgovánová denied Čaplovič's accusations and said that he refused to meet with her. She said he did not adopt the mid-term plans that she submitted in January nor the regional plans that her people and the regional governments had worked on for 1.5 years.

"Regarding segregated ghettos, he does not understand the situation at all," said Orgovánová. "We have never supported segregated dwellings."

Orgovánová said she expected to be withdrawn and that she feels she did what was needed during her six years in office.

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