An extraordinary session of parliament which was to debate a non-confidence motion in the new construction and regional development minister, Igor Štefanov, was postponed to the morning of Wednesday, April 22, after parliament lacked a quorum on Tuesday evening.
Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška ordered a break after MPs started to leave parliament after learning that Deputy Speaker of Parliament Viliam Veteška (HZDS) had died earlier, the TASR newswire wrote. Veteška was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2007. After treatment he returned to parliament, only to be hospitalised again in 2008. In March 2009, his condition deteriorated and he had recently been in a coma, the topky.sk website wrote.
One of the proposers of the no-confidence motion, Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH) MP Július Brocka, suggested that the session be interrupted and continued the following day. But by then only 54 MPs were present to vote, the minimum necessary being 76. TASR, topky.sk
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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