THE OPPOSITION Smer party has accused Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda's Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) of financing its election campaign with state funds through the Transport Ministry, which has been run by SDKÚ nominees for the past eight years.
Smer said that money earmarked for state contracts through the ministry was siphoned into the SDKÚ party's budget.
According to Smer leader Robert Fico, the SDKÚ's campaign has cost between Sk250 million and Sk300 million, while the SDKÚ said earlier it would spend around Sk40 million, the SITA news agency wrote.
"Slovakia has never experienced the mishandling of state funds to such an extent. [Former PM] Vladimír Mečiar was only an amateur compared to Mikuláš Dzurinda," Fico said.
The SDKÚ said the allegations were absurd.
Compiled by Martina Jurinová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
