Discussions on possible changes to the controversial Press Code slated to take place in the headquarters of the opposition ethnic-Hungarian SMK party on May 29 will not involve the other two opposition parties - SDKÚ and KDH, the TASR newswire wrote on May 28.
"We won't take part (in the meeting) due to how the Lisbon Treaty was ratified,” said KDH vice-chairman Martin Fronc.
Fronc said that all efforts to change the law, which comes into effect on June 1, are futile because the governing coalition will reject any amendment outright. Therefore, filing a complaint with the Constitutional Court seems the only feasible option. However, the KDH hasn't yet drawn up such an initiative, he said.
SMK leader Pál Csáky has criticised the parties’ decision not to attend, but said that he still hoped that all three parties would eventually file a complaint with the Constitutional Court.
Meanwhile, the SMK is gaining further knowledge of the Code, and has had analyses drawn up by prestigious law firms, which will be presented at the meeting, Csáky said.
According to SDKÚ MP Tomás Galbavý, his party is also analysing how to file with the Constitutional Court.
"The law is bad, but that doesn't mean it is unconstitutional,” he stressed.
Zuzana Krútka, head of the Slovak Syndicate of Journalists, has confirmed she will attend the meeting, as she embraces any initiative to modify the Press Code. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
