ELECTIONS 2012: Smer wins elections (updated)

The Smer party has maintained its position as the far largest party in the Slovak parliament following elections held on March 10. Based on preliminary results revealed by the Slovak Statistics Office, Smer got 44.41 percent, followed by the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) with 8.82 percent. The turnout was higher than expected, at 59.11 percent.

Third was the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) with 8.55 percent, followed by Most-Híd, which has so far received 6.89 percent.

The Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) with 6.09 percent and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) currently at 5.88 percent have passed the five percent threshold to enter parliament, based on the official preliminary results.

Based on the preliminary results, Smer will have 83 seats in the 150-seat parliament and thus can form up a government alone. Smer leader Robert Fico is ready to initiate coalition talks with every party that has made it into parliament.

So far only Most-Híd has accepted the invitation.

“Despite the result has secured us a majority, we will take steps that we announced before,” said Fico as quoted by TASR. “It will be necessary to convene round table talks of parliamentary parties. It will be necessary to talk about stances towards European challenges ... we will be glad if opposition parties also take such an approach.”

Also, Smer wants to debate constitutional laws with the opposition.

Of the following parties, KDH and OĽaNO would have 16 seats each, Most-Híd 13 seats, SDKÚ and SaS would have 11 seats each in parliament.

The Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) failed to make it to parliament: it received 4.28 percent, 0.72 points below the 5-percent threshold. The Slovak National Party (SNS) has narrowly missed this target when it got 4.55 percent.

The unofficial results of the election, after a count of all valid votes, are as follows:

Smer – 44.41 percent
Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) – 8.82 percent
Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) – 8.55 percent
Most-Híd – 6.89 percent
Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) – 6.09 percent
Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) – 5.88 percent

Slovak National Party (SNS) – 4.55 percent
Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) – 4.28 percent
99 Percent – Civic Voice – 1.58 percent

Source: www.statistics.sk