Zuzana Martináková, a presidential candidate from the Free Forum (SF), launched a Slovakia-wide petition drive on October 1 to collect the 15,000 signatures needed to make it onto the ballot.
According to the head of the petition committee, Mária Gamčová, the goal is to have the signatures within two or three weeks. Martináková wants to focus on the support of families - the young, older and single-parent families. She thinks there is a need for change and an active approach in the Presidential Palace.
"A passive president creates the impression of not having sufficient powers. An active one can intervene in societal issues," Martináková said.
Martináková was elected to parliament for the SDKÚ in 2002. She left it in 2004 to found the SF along with Ivan Śimko, also a former SDKÚ MP. In the same year, she was elected head of SF, winning over Šimko by one vote. Šimko left the party shortly after that, founding a new party, Mission 21. He will be running for president in the 2009 election as well. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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