Thanks to the NapisteIm (WriteThem) website, people can now address politicians directly by e-mail. Its database contains the contact details of 150 MPs and about 2,600 mayors; it will be updated after the March 2010 parliamentary elections. Citizens can add local politicians to the database. So far, citizens have addressed 65 questions to politicians. Since the launch of the portal on December 14, 2011, 38 politicians were asked questions by citizens, the SITA newswire wrote on January 4. According to the webpage's statistics only seven politicians reacted to at least one question; and of these just one was from the opposition.
Citizens addressed most questions, six in all, to opposition Smer party leader Robert Fico but he has not yet responded to any of them. The head of the Ordinary People (OĽ) party, Igor Matovič, and Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) deputy chairman and Speaker of Parliament Pavol Hrušovský were asked five questions each. While Matovič did not respond to any of the e-mails, Hrušovský answered two of them. The fourth most-addressed politician was Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) leader Richard Sulík, who answered three of his four e-mails. Fifth on the list was Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Ján Slota. He was asked three questions but left all of them unanswered.
Only SaS MPs Zuzana Aštaryová (3), Milan Laurenčík (2) and Pavol Hladký (1) responded to all the e-mails addressed to them. Smer MP and mayor of Košice Richard Raši is so far the only opposition politician to respond to citizens via the webpage, answering one of the two questions he received.
Source: 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.
