PRESIDENTIAL candidates Andrej Kiska and Robert Fico met in two major debates over the weekend, just one week before one of them will be definitively elected president of Slovakia on March 29.
On Saturday, March 22, the two candidates met in the building of the public-service radio for a debate that was also broadcast on the public service RTVS television channel. While the mood in that debate remained calm, the next day’s debate on the TA3 news channel, saw the two candidates clash more contentiously.
Moderators Peter Bielik and Ľuba Oravová took a less structured approach and let Fico and Kiska debate each other more freely, the Sme daily wrote on March 25.
Few new topics were discussed in the debates. The two candidates mostly sparred over the crisis in Crimea, the powers of the president and whether the country’s president needs to have a background in politics. On TA3, Fico again accused Kiska of being a Scientologist, without offering any hard proof.
Fico used claims about Buddhism and Judaism from the most recent anti-Kiska flyer that are being distributed to the households around Slovakia, Sme wrote.
“I believe in God and I’m not ashamed of that,” Kiska responded, as quoted by Sme. He later said that he is not the one avoiding answers to uncomfortable questions.
Source: Sme
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports.
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
presented in its Flash News postings.
