Parliament will attempt, for the third time, to elect a new head for the Nation’s Memory Institute (ÚPN) at its February 13 parliamentary session. Both candidates – Ondrej Krajňák, proposed by the ruling Smer party, and Marián Gula, nominated by the People’s Platform grouping of three opposition parties – appeared before the parliamentary committee for human rights, the SITA newswire reported.
“If either of the two candidates is elected, I will be satisfied,” said Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) parliamentary caucus head Pavol Hrušovský, as quoted by SITA.
He added that it is necessary to elect a new chair of the ÚPN board since the tenure of the previous occupant, Ivan Petranský, expired on January 31. The ÚPN is currently being led by Augustín Lang.
Hrušovský also said that both candidates positively surprised him.
“They explained the aim of the work and activity of the ÚPN in an exhaustive way,” the KDH MP said, as quoted by SITA, adding that they both openly named the actual problems which the ÚPN currently faces.
Smer caucus chief Jana Laššáková said she expects that parliament will elect a new ÚPN head at its next session. She said that she could guarantee Krajňák all of Smer’s 83 votes, except for MPs who were absent, SITA wrote.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
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