Prime Minister Robert Fico has asked the opposition parties to stop arguing and agree on a candidate to head the Public Procurement Office (ÚVO), the TASR newswire reported.
“Please stop squabbling with each other,” he said, as quoted by TASR. “I have a solution. I will take those who [former premier] Mrs [Iveta] Radičová selected and simply choose the best one of them to become the new ÚVO chair. We cannot keep waiting until you reach an agreement and submit a candidate.”
Opposition leaders have been negotiating over the candidacy for several weeks. While Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) is proposing one of its MPs, Kamil Krnáč, the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) has named the former chair of the Statistics Office, Peter Mach, and the vice-chair of the Supreme Audit Office, Emil Kočiš, as possible candidates.
According to Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) MP and party leadership candidate Lucia Žitňanská, the time taken by the opposition to negotiate the issue is ridiculous. She stressed that the ÚVO is a very important supervisory body and must function properly.
KDH leader Ján Figeľ said that the opposition is likely to reach an agreement by May 16, TASR wrote.
Other posts that are still unfilled include the vice-governorship of the Slovak National Bank (NBS), country’s central bank, a seat on the new Fiscal Council, and the chairs of the National Property Fund (FNM) supervisory board and the Broadcasting and Retransmission Council (RVR).
Source: TASR
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
