General Milan Cerovský was appointed the new chief of staff the Slovak Army on November 27. Using delegated presidential powers, Speaker of Parliament Jozef Migaš swore in the new chief at a ceremony in Trenčín in western Slovakia.
Cerovský is 49 years old and is a graduate of the Military Academy in Vyskov, the Czech Republic. He has studied in the US as well as in Great Britain. As of January 1, 1998, he has worked as the head of the department for integration and standardization of the Slovak Army General Staff.
General Cerovský replaced Marián Mikluš, who took over as Army Chief on August 19 after being appointed by the former ruling party, the HZDS. The parties of the former opposition, however, claimed Mikluš had been installed illegally, and that the HZDS had put him in the position for political reasons.