Outgoing Economy Minister Juraj Miškov from Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party has withdrawn his candidacy for the post of chair of parliament’s economy and budget committee in favour of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), explaining that he does not want to help future Prime Minister Robert Fico portray the opposition as a quarrelsome bunch, the TASR newswire reported.
Miškov described Fico’s offer for opposition parties to divvy up nine posts in parliamentary committees as “another media game”.
“Fico scattered leftovers and waited for the opposition to start fighting over them and SaS does not want to aid and abet this,” he said, as quoted by TASR, adding that he will not aspire to be the chairman of the economic committee and wants to work as an ordinary member.
Outgoing Culture Minister Daniel Krajcer, Miškov’s colleague from the same party, added that the talks about the nominees to the parliamentary committees were constructive, with only KDH creating a fuss.
“We have got the feeling that KDH thinks it does not have enough, even though it was given the most important positions from those offered to the opposition,” Krajcer stated, as quoted by TASR.
Nevertheless, KDH does not seem to be pleased by the step SaS has taken.
“Neither the constitution nor the law states that the post of the parliamentary economic committee belongs exclusively to SaS,” KDH’s spokesman Matej Kováč told TASR. “This is a matter of political agreement,” adding that if SaS had not caused the fall of the government of Iveta Radičová, it could have continued to manage the Economy Ministry.
“We are sorry that SaS has not learned its lesson and continues in petty quarrels,” Kováč added, as quoted by TASR.
Robert Fico, future prime minister and chairman of Smer party, has presented nominees from Smer for the posts of chairs of parliamentary committees. Martin Madej is to lead the constitutional committee, Igor Choma the committee for public administration and regional development, Richard Raši the health-care committee, Jaroslav Baška the defence committee, Mojmír Mamojka the committee for education, science, youth and sport, Dušan Jarjabek the committee for culture and media, Miroslav Číž the committee for parliamentary mandates and immunity and Ľuboš Blaha the committee for European Affairs.
Source: TASR
For more information about this story please see: KDH-SaS dispute over committee chair remains unresolved
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
