A former member of parliament who had been unconstitutionally forced to step down was invited to a celebration of the constitution in parliament, the Sme daily wrote on September 3.
However, František Gaulieder received the invitation too late, as it was sent to an address where he has not lived since 1991.
"I am sorry that I could not meet with the colleagues who voted for my ousting," said Gaulieder, a former HZDS MP.
In 1996, the then-ruling coalition led by the HZDS forced Gaulieder out of parliament based on a letter of resignation he said he had never sent. President Ivan Gašparovič, who was an HZDS member at the time, also voted to force Gaulieder out of parliament.
The public service Slovak Television invited Gašparovič, Prime Minister Robert Fico and Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška to a discussion on the Slovak constitution. The debate also touched on the Gaulieder incident.
Gašparovič said it was not a mistake that parliament stripped Gaulieder of his mandate, but the method was wrong.
The Constitutional Court, however, said that the act was at odds with the rule of law.
-SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
